Past and Present
by HazelDragonNora
Summary: In the past, a young boy rescued her from the jaws of death and dissapeared. Now it is her time to keep her promise to him. However, their meeting will not be what she anticipated. Enter the three dragon slayers of Phantom Lord- Shadow, Black Steel, and Salamander.
1. The Beginning

*Some mistakes were revised as of 1/8/15*

Thank you "**someone**" for pointing out my mispelling of 'onee-san'! Don't worry - you weren't rude at all.  
>I appreciate your correction! ;)<p>

* * *

><p>I present to you - my second fanfic: <em>Past and Present<em>!

I somehow got the inspiration to write this from reading a bunch of other fanfics, listening to my friends rant, and then connecting the dots. :)

Anyways, enjoy! Hope you read and review - can't wait for compliments, comments, critiques, suggestions, or complaints! ;)

~Nora

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any other already copyrighted material. Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail *what a genius!* I only own my own words, ideas, thoughts, and imagination. And ice cream! I like ice cream!<strong>

* * *

><p>"No! Don't leave me!"<p>

"S-s-st-stay s-s-st-strr-strong m-m-my g-g-girl…" Her voice faded and the heat gradually died down. Soon, the body did not radiate any warmth. It sat there, cool, still, silent, unmoving – _dead_. Just like her mother. Just like her dear mother.

She sat there, staring. Staring with unseeing, tearful, crying eyes at the body. And soon, it dissipated, crumbling into dust. Hysterical, she grabbed for it.

"NO! At least stay with me for a little bit longer!" It didn't hear her and continued decaying. Then, there was nothing left except for the pale ground, the swaying trees, the shining moon, and the gleaming stars. That was where she looked next and when they glowed, she knew.

"Stay there at least…" Finally collapsing, the blonde-haired girl crumpled to the ground and sobbed herself to sleep. Up in the brightening sky, a dragon rose and shined. Free from the boundaries of the earth, it flew upwards into the stars and rested there - for eternity.

That was the day the earth rumbled and the sea roared. The wind howled and the stars seemed to dim. That was the day dragons disappeared from Earthland.

July 7, X777.

_Did it really seem so long ago?_ She wondered. Waking up on the hard, cold ground in the bright sunlight, she thought that she had dreamt it all. But when she found no dragon lying besides her, she knew it had happened.

Funny, wasn't it? Six days after her birthday, they'd died. And what was even more hilarious was that they'd both died on the same day.

Her heart wanted to shatter into a million tiny pieces like a crystal, but she refused to let it do so. It was disgraceful.

_My mother and her would never have wanted me to be like this._ She thought. Wiping her tears away, the girl stood up.

She looked up at the morning blue, the sun already high up in the sky. _She's not dead - I know she isn't._ Dragons were nearly immortal creatures. They had a long life span and didn't die easily. _She's probably out there, somewhere. Flying around the sky – just waiting for me. _The thought brought a smile to the girl's face.

But her mother… she was definitely gone. Her smile trembled and vanished. She had seen the dark coffin lid enclosing her mother. The pit in which her mother had been lowered into flashed into her mind. Dirt, dark, damp dirt covered the coffin – covered her mother. Tears slid down her face as she tried to repress her memories and sobs.

_I can't._ The girl thought, shocking her tears away. _I can't do this if I'm crying. I promised them both. _She shook her head furiously, shaking off the tears and marched on back home.

_To be stronger and be able to protect the ones I love._ Her retreating back was silhouetted against the emerald green leaves of the forest.

_As a student of Celestia, a celestial spirit mage, and a Heartfilia, I promise to not break my promise._

The angel stood over the grave, wings outstretched as if it guarded the grave from all evildoers. The girl hugged the gravestone that read:

Layla Heartfilia

X748-X777

"Mother, I'll make you proud." She whispered to the grave. The angel statue hovering over the grave seemed to gaze at her with approval. Turning away, the ten year old strode down the stone pathway towards the mansion. She fumbled with her keys, and finally finding the one, she unlocked the door.

"Lucy!" Mrs. Spetto called out teary eyed. The old maid rushed to the girl and embraced her in a warm hug.

"I was so worried about you! You disappeared for a whole night…" She sniffed. Lucy patted Mrs. Spetto's back. "I was okay, Mrs. Spetto." She pulled back from the woman. "But," She hesitated, debating whether or not to tell her.

"I have to go…" Lucy looked away from Mrs. Spetto. To her surprise, the old woman just asked softly,

"Why?" The girl sighed and guided Mrs. Spetto up the winding stairs into her room. She closed the door and sat down on the bed.

"Father's gone as well- not physically, but mentally." She told the woman sadly. "Mother's death has taken its toll on him." "But Lucy," Mrs. Spetto stood from her seat in the chair and rushed to the girl. "Wait a year- you're only ten right now. You'll see – he can change!" She pleaded to the girl. Lucy smiled sadly.

"I hope." With that, Mrs. Spetto turned and headed for the door. As she stepped out however, Lucy's voice called to her.

"Because I'm staying here." Her heart leaped in joy and she turned around as fast as she could to embrace the blonde-haired girl once more. Tears of relief fell down her face as she blubbered.

"M-my, m-my, y-y-you're g-g-growing u-up s-s-so f-f-fast… M-m-m-making y-y-your own d-d-decisions a-al-already." Lucy grinned.

"Don't worry about me, Mrs. Spetto! I'll go take a walk now." Lucy Heartfilia headed out the door of her room, past her father's closed study door, and out the mansion to take a walk in town.

"Ugly!"

"Shorty!"

"Baby!"

"Blueberry Hair!" The insults continued to echo in her ears. The sticks, pebbles, and clumps of dirt they threw relentlessly hit her. She curled up into a ball on the dirt street as the bullies tormented her.

_What did I do to deserve this?_ All she had done was walk through the streets asking politely if anyone had seen a dragon around here. There was nothing wrong with that was there? A clump of dirt hit her head and she sobbed.

"Owie! It hurts…" The bullies cackled and continued tormenting her.

"Freak!" "I bet your parents left you because you were so _dumb_-"

"STOP IT." Momentarily, the torture paused as an angry female voice protested. The little girl looked up with tears in her eyes to see a girl standing back facing her, shielding her.

Her blonde hair shined like gold in the sunlight and for a second, the little girl thought she was an angel. _My own guardian angel…_ The girl's voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"What are you doing?" The blonde-haired girl angrily questioned the bullies.

"Oh, we did nothing."

"Yeah, it was an accident." "This was a misunderstanding."

"Oh really?" The blonde girl turned around and crouched down.

"What do you say?" She asked the little blue haired girl. The little girl sniffled and tried for a watery smile.

"It's all right. It was just an accident." The older girl narrowed her eyes and the younger, blue haired girl stiffened slightly but still kept the smile. Nodding, the blonde straightened up and turned away.

"Okay then, I'll go now." The little girl wanted to scream and call her back. She wanted to tell her savior the truth and stop her from leaving.

But she was too kind, and couldn't settle the blame on the other kids for bullying her. The blonde's figure soon retreated and the bullies circled her once more.

"Hmmm, we got to thank you for saving us there." A boy who looked like he was ten grinned meanly at her. He cracked his knuckles and tossed a rock up into the air menacingly.

Languidly, he threw it at her face knowing that she wouldn't block, and the little girl couldn't help but whimper in fear. She waited for the impact of the hard, solid rock to hit her, but it never connected.

Carefully, she opened an eye to see the blonde-haired girl standing above her. A gash cut along her right arm, but other than that, she seemed fine. The murderous look on her face and the threatening aura around her spoke volumes, though. Slowly, the older girl looked up and the bullies and the boy who threw the rock flinched.

"An accident, eh?" She tilted her head and smirked slowly. "I don't think so, _liar_." She took a step forward and they all fled.

"I'm sorry!" "Please don't tell my mother!" "My father would kill me!" "I'm too young to die!" The bullies' voices faded away as they drew farther away and the blonde girl sighed in frustration.

"Humph. I was hoping they wouldn't leave so I could beat them up and then report them to their parents…" She trailed off and noticed the little blue-haired girl still staring up at her in shock.

"O-o-oi, are you okay?" She questioned the little girl. There was no answer. Then, she suddenly burst into tears.

"H-h-hey, don't cry!" The little girl continued to sob. Silently, the blonde crouched down and hugged the little girl. "C-c-come on, please tell me what I did wrong." She panicked as the girl kept crying.

"Y-y-you did nothing wrong!" The little girl soon stopped crying, wiping at her face with dirty hands.

"Here," The blonde handed the blue-haired girl a cloth. Upon closer inspection, it was ripped from the blonde's sleeve.

"Arigato," She sniffled and wiped her nose.

"Come on, I'll patch you up." The blonde stood up and held out a hand for the blue haired girl to grab on. She took a hold of the older girl's hand and followed her obediently to a tree.

The two sat beneath the shade of the expansive oak tree as the older girl treated the younger one's wounds. From the belt at her side, she drew a bottle of alcohol and using another sleeve cloth, she gently dabbed at the young girl's wounds and bruises.

Underneath her breath, she chanted something quietly as she dabbed at the wounds and the little girl felt a cool, fresh wave of energy flow through her. She gasped as a green glow surrounded her wounds and mended them.

"Wow! You're so cool. What's your name, onee-san?" The blonde almost stumbled.

"O-o-onee-san?" She asked the girl curiously.

"Yep!" The young girl beamed. "You're like my older sister!" The blonde's curiosity was aroused.

"You have an older sister?" She asked the young girl incredibly. The younger girl's face fell.

"No, I don't even know my parents…"

"Ah," The blonde sighed. "Well then, I can be your older sister!" She looked at the girl's bright face.

"And, my name is Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia." The blue-haired girl smiled sweetly.

"I'm Wendy. Wendy Marvell." Lucy smiled at Wendy.

"How old are you, Wendy? And who've you been staying with if you don't know your parents?" Wendy's face saddened slightly.

"I'm," She counted slowly on her fingers, Lucy watching amusedly. "Five!"

"Wow," Lucy gasped. "You talk so fluently!"

"Grandine taught me well." Wendy nodded proudly. "She was my adopted mother – and she's a dragon!"


	2. Escape

Chapter 2 of _Past and Present_ is up! Yay!  
>I was debating on making this chapter longer by including following events, but...<p>

I decided against it because I'm cruel - sorry! :)

Don't worry, though, I'll update soon since my winter break starts tomorrow!

Enjoy this chapter, _Escape_!

~Nora

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any other already copyrighted material. Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail *what a genius!* I only own my own words, ideas, thoughts, and imagination. And ice cream! I like ice cream!**

* * *

><p>~July 8th, X777~<p>

"A dragon?" Lucy gaped at Wendy.

"Yeah!" Wendy bobbed her head up and down. "She was the sky dragon and she taught me sky dragon slaying magic!" Lucy patted the earnest bluenette's head.

"Cool," She smiled down at the little girl. "I'm the celestial dragon slayer, taught by the celestial dragon, Celestia."

"Yay!" Wendy squealed. "Someone finally believed me! Lucy-nee is the best!" She jumped into the blonde's lap and hugged her.

"Ano… Where did Grandine go? Do you know Wendy?" Lucy asked the girl. Wendy looked up, her eyes suddenly wide and tearful.

"N-no, Grandine disappeared yesterday without a single word…" She buried her face in Lucy's t-shirt and began to sob. Lucy stroked Wendy's short hair soothingly as she looked off into the distance.

"It was the same for me…" Lucy whispered softly, her eyes gaining a faraway look. "I was going into the forest to meet up with her and tell her t-t-that m-m-my m-m-mother h-had d-d-d-died, but when I got there, she started to shake and her heartbeat slowed. Then, she died and I watched as she turned into dust and vanished amongst the stars."

Wendy felt something wet drip onto her head and she looked up. Lucy was crying silently as she held her, and Wendy hugged the older girl tighter.

"It'll be alright, Lucy-nee." Wendy smiled tearfully at Lucy who looked down at her. "We have each other." The older girl managed a watery smile before completely breaking down.

That afternoon, passerby saw the blonde haired Heartfilia sobbing her heart out with a small blue haired girl under a pine tree. Most of them couldn't understand but they left the two be, knowing that it was something only people who had lost someone dear to them could relate to.

* * *

><p>"Mrs. Spetto!" The old maid stopped sweeping the courtyard and straightened up. Lucy walked toward her along with an unfamiliar blue haired girl.<p>

"Lucy! You're back from your walk, I see. With a new friend too!" Mrs. Spetto smiled warmly at the two.

"This is Wendy," Lucy gently pushed the younger girl who stumbled forward. "She's five."

"H-hello obasan!" Wendy bowed respectively and the older woman couldn't help but laugh.

"Aww, you're so cute, Wendy!" She hugged the little girl tenderly and Wendy wrapped her arms around Mrs. Spetto as well.

"So, I was wondering if Wendy could stay with us." Lucy told Mrs. Spetto after she and Wendy pulled apart.

"Hmm, but what about her parents?" Mrs. Spetto's brows furrowed.

"Ano… I don't have any parents right now. My dragon left me…" Wendy responded timidly. Mrs. Spetto's eyebrows shot up.

"You're a dragon slayer as well?" Wendy nodded.

"I'm the sky dragon slayer." She answered. Mrs. Spetto didn't hesitate.

"Alright," She beamed at Lucy and Wendy. "You're staying with us now, Wendy!" Wendy bowed again.

"Arigato!"

"You don't have to bow, Wendy. Really," Mrs. Spetto reassured her as they headed inside.

* * *

><p>The two days were heavenly. Wendy ate delicious meals that she hadn't had in what felt like days. She slept with Lucy in her bed and spent the days playing with her older sister and helping out Mrs. Spetto.<p>

The staff in the house were very nice to her. Wendy treated them with the same amount of respect and kindness that Lucy did, so it was no wonder that they adored her. The only person that Wendy didn't happen to meet was Lucy's father and Lucy had told her that it was good, because her father was strict and temperamental.

* * *

><p>~July 10th, X777~<p>

Wendy woke to the sounds of the birds chirping outside Lucy's window.

"Good morning Wendy!" The blonde stood in her bedroom doorway, dressed in running shorts and a t-shirt.  
>"Good morning Lucy-nee!" Wendy stretched and yawned, sitting up under the bed covers.<p>

"I'll go take a shower now and you can shower using Mrs. Spetto's bathroom." Lucy instructed Wendy before rummaging through her dresser for a change of clothes and rushing into the bathroom.

Slowly, Wendy pulled off the covers and scooted off the bed. She opened a different drawer at the bottom of Lucy's dresser and pulled out a white t-shirt and a pair of blue shorts. Wendy quickly walked out Lucy's room and across the hallway.

She opened the bathroom door and stepped inside, locking it behind her. Meanwhile, Lucy just finished showering. The blonde quickly brushed her teeth and combed her hair. Then, she bounded down the stairs to the dining room.

"Good morning Mrs. Spetto!" Lucy sang cheerfully as she rounded the turn in the stairs. Once reaching the bottom however, she froze in surprise.

"Hello, Lucy." Her father sat at the head of the dining table reading a newspaper and drinking a glass of hot water. Mrs. Spetto stood behind him, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

"Jude-sama, do you require anything else-"

"Leave. I do not require your presence here." Jude calmly stated while flipping a page in his newspaper. Mrs. Spetto bowed and scurried off to the kitchen.

"Sit Lucy." Teeth clenched, Lucy sat down at the furthest seat away from her father.

"Hai." She muttered out.

"Now, we have to discuss your future role in the family company-" Her father began.

"Good morning Mrs. Spetto! Good morning Lucy-nee!" Wendy chirped as she skipped down the steps. Lucy froze and Jude stared at the blue haired girl.

"Oh! You must be Lucy's father! It's a pleasure to meet you, sir!" Wendy bowed and took a seat to the left of Lucy. Jude recovered and stood up, pushing his chair out.

"Who is this _pesky_ girl, Lucy?" He clenched his fists on the tabletop, glaring at his daughter and the bluenette. Lucy stood up abruptly, her chair toppling over.

"She's not a pesky girl! Her name is Wendy!" She glared at her father. His eyes narrowed and he focused on her. A moment passed with neither of them, nor Wendy, making a sound. Then, her father moved with surprising speed.

He leaned over the table and grabbed the startled bluenette's wrist, dragging her over to him. Wendy felt a jolt of pain shock her wrist and she knew that a bruise would form. She whimpered and Lucy snapped.

"LET GO OF HER!" Her father smirked.

"And why should I?" He questioned calmly, his grip tightening on Wendy's wrist. The pain was too intense and the little girl began to cry.

"GET OFF OF HER!" Lucy ran over to her father and jumped onto his back, causing him to release Wendy's wrist in surprise. The girl stumbled backwards into Mrs. Spetto's warm embrace.

"Hush, Wendy, it's alright." She cradled the bluenette slowly retreated back into the kitchen. "Lucy will take care of this." Looking over into the dining room, she saw the daughter and father continue to fight. Lucy was still on her father's back pulling his hair, while Jude roared in pain and anger and tried to throw off his daughter.

Then, it was in desperation that he turned and slammed his back still carrying Lucy onto the wooden table. There was a collective gasp as all the servants, who had all crowded outside the dining room to watch, witnessed Lucy being smashed by her father.

"LUCY!" Mrs. Spetto hurried into the room, forgetting about the now, not crying Wendy who followed her closely. Jude slowly stood up from the table, face turned away from the crowd and the limp body of Lucy on the tabletop.

"You may all leave now-" He began before he was kicked in the back, crashing into the opposite wall where he slumped, unconscious. Lucy stood up, clutching her hip. She glared daggers at her unconscious father before turning to the crowd of people.

"Mrs. Spetto, Wendy and I are leaving now." It wasn't an arguable statement.

"Okay, Lucy…" Mrs. Spetto sighed before racing upstairs. "Just wait one second! I need to give you something." She sprinted down the staircase out of breath and presented a small red box to Lucy.

"What is this?" Lucy asked Mrs. Spetto. The old maid just held out her hand, urging Lucy to take the box and open it. Gasping, the blonde stared at the pair of earrings snugly place on the white velvet pillow inside the box.

"T-th-t-these are Mama's earrings!" She exclaimed as she gazed at the sparkling pieces of jewelry. Mrs. Spetto nodded solemnly.

"She wanted you to have them." Lucy nodded slowly, tears starting to pool in her eyes. _Thank you, Mama_. She removed the earrings from the box and Mrs. Spetto helped her put them on.

Wendy watched as the grateful Lucy hugged Mrs. Spetto, restraining her tears unlike the old maid who let them flow right out.

"I'll miss you so much Lucy! Please write to me – you and Wendy!" Lucy gave the old woman her promise and then moved on, being swarmed by more staff.

"Here Lucy, take this with you!" The chef proceeded to stick several loafs of bread, a few wedges of cheese, some carrots, and two canteens of water inside a pack and handed it over to Lucy.

"Yes! Take this with you too!" A few of the younger maid girls walked over and deposited two foldable sleeping bags stuffed in another pack that was also handed to Lucy. Wendy saw that the older girl was holding too much stuff.

"Here Lucy-nee, I can help!" Wendy offered to Lucy. She smiled and handed Wendy the bag of sleeping bags.

"Arigato Wendy!" After a minute more of fussing and another bag of clothes and hygiene supplies, Lucy finally put her foot down.

"We're leaving now!" She demanded and together, she and Wendy strolled out the front door with the staff of the Heartfilia mansion trailing behind them.

Once reaching the gate, Lucy and Wendy turned back.

"Goodbye Lucy-sama! Goodbye Wendy-chan!" The servants called tearfully.

"Bye everyone! Take care!" The two girls waved and turned their backs, walking out the gate.

Lucy looked back at everyone one last time. "I'll take good care of you Wendy." She smiled down at the little blue-haired girl who smiled back, and reached out her hand to the blonde, interlocking their fingers.

"Let's go, Lucy-nee!" Wendy cheered. "We'll have a chance to find our dragons as well!" The two girls giggled and raced down the path, hopes and spirits raised high.

* * *

><p>July 15th, X777<p>

"Wendy! Take the bracelet and get out of here – I'll hold it back!" Lucy screamed. Seeing that Wendy wouldn't move, she pleaded with the younger girl. "Please Wendy, I'll meet you soon or sometime later. The bracelet will let you know - now GO!"

Wendy nodded reluctantly, tears sliding down her face and throat clogged. She turned and ran, the golden bracelet jangling on her wrist.

Lucy nodded in relief.

"Stay safe Lucy-nee!" She heard Wendy call before her footsteps were the only thing she heard, their steady beat smacking onto the earth.

_Swish._ Lucy jumped over the spiky tail of the monster and back flipped to turn around. Its red eyes gleamed eerily, examining her every movement. Then, it turned its head around, seemingly distracted.

Lucy charged forward.

"Celestial Dragon's Starry Fist!" She jumped and aimed to the side of the monster's neck, a common weak spot for low-level monsters. Pulling back her fist, light gathered around it as she soared through the air towards the monster.

It turned its head toward her rapidly. _Too quick,_ she thought with dread. It was a trap. The monster's jaws snapped open and it lunged towards her. It was then that she noticed the faint golden glow pulsing around the center of its tongue.

Now that she was given an advantage, Lucy took the risk. The sharp fangs neared and drew closer, and closer, until she saw her crooked reflection on their yellow surfaces.

She punched her arm into the monsters mouth and saw as it hit the glowing area of its tongue, the saliva dripping onto her arm. With a pained moan, the monster stiffened and writhed, and Lucy hurriedly retracted her soaked arm.

She pushed off against the monster's chin and soared away. Upon reaching the forest floor, she ducked and rolled, coming to a clean stop next to a tree.

Lucy sighed in relief, until she felt a tingling feeling in the arm she'd used to destroy the monster.

She looked down and stifled a shriek. Purple vines were crisscrossing her arm and closed, violet buds were beginning to emerge from the veins on her arm. _What's going on?_ She asked herself. _Master Crux!_

_Lucy-sama? What's wrong? _She heard the old spirit's voice in her head and sighed in relief. _I have a weird contraption growing on my right arm! _She tried to calmly inform Crux, one of her spirits from her silver gate keys.

_Can you send me an image of it, Lucy-sama? _He requested.

Lucy looked at her right arm and jumped in shock. Some of the purple vines were crawling up to her shoulder!

Shaking the feeling away, she sent the image to Crux. _Here you go, Master Crux. _A snore was all she got in return, but she knew that her friend had already begun to research it for her.

Lucy returned her attention to her infected arm, feeling that it was ice cold. She tried to move her fingers. No reaction. _What about bending my elbow? _Her arm did not bend. It was as if her arm was paralyzed and couldn't feel anything either!

Then, the violet flowers bloomed. The purple vines had succeeded in crawling all the way up to her shoulder, where they mysteriously stopped.

Lucy sniffed the air. With her enhanced sense of smell, the violet colored flowers seemed to overpower everything. She looked at the flowers and inspected one closer. A deep purple rim encircled a violet center with yellow specks of pollen.

The flower moved and Lucy blinked in confusion. _There's not that much wind today, _she thought cautiously. Lucy looked at the flower again, but this time it remained still.

The blonde yawned and leaned against the trunk. She felt strangely tired all of a second and didn't even feel the stem of the violet flowers tightening against her arm.

_LUCY-SAMA! WAKE UP! _It was Master Crux's urgent voice that woke her from her daze. _Yeah? _She yawned and raised her right hand to rub her eyes. Two unblinking purple eyes met her gaze and she stared dumbly at them.

_Master Crux? _She asked her spirit. _Yes Lucy-sama?_

_Is it normal to have two purple eyes on your hands? _She questioned him. He gasped.

_Stand up now, Lucy-sama, or else the other monsters will find you! Certain monster saliva transfers this type of infection and once the saliva comes in contact with you, it'll begin to paralyze your body and signal other monsters to you! You must run!_

_N-n-no,_ Lucy stood up, supporting herself with the tree trunk. Her legs felt unnaturally weak for some reason and she had trouble focusing her eyes. _I will fight!_

_Enough, Lucy-sama! You'll get yourself killed- _The blonde cut her connection with Crux and attempted to contact Caelum.

_C-C-Caelum? You there? _She called out to her spirit in her mind. She received no answer. _Hey? Caelum-_

A spasm of pain shot through her body and she felt her neck. The familiar texture of vines greeted her and a wave of coldness swept through her body. She fell to the ground as numbness crept over her. _W-w-what's g-g-going o-o-on? _

Then, the heat rose and gradually, Lucy felt the cold disappear.

Unconsciousness came calling and worn out, the blonde fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Gently, the boy slid the golden-haired girl into his arms and carried her across the clearing containing the dead rock lizard.<p>

He stepped around the giant monster and stepped into the shadows of the forest, his pink hair the last to leave the bright sunlight.

* * *

><p>It's kind of a cliffy, but... now you know who's involved with this! ;)<p>

Even I can't wait for my next update! *bounces on writing stool*


	3. Separation

Chapter Three of _Past and Present_ is out!

I want to thank **SakuraPetal91** for unknowingly giving me inspiration to continue writing!

Also, thank you, readers, favorite-ers, and followers for giving me support to continue this story!

I hope you enjoy _Separation_!

~Nora

* * *

><p>July 11th, X777:<p>

The chirping of birds pervaded the clearing and the blonde stirred. Blinking, she slowly opened her eyes. Sky blue, the sky shimmered with transparent fluffy clouds and the sun shone brightly.

"Wendy?" Her question hung in the air and was carried off by the gentle breeze. She got no reply except for the soft rustling of leaves and the singing of the birds.

Then, she heard it. There was another human heartbeat, slightly racing, on the other side of the clearing.

The girl sniffed the air for more information as well as for the tell tale scent of danger. The other person was a boy - she knew that for sure - and he was around her age.

She also picked up another scent mixing in with Wendy's, drifting over to her on the breeze. _Wendy will be okay_, she reassured herself before turning her attention back to the closer presence of the unknown boy.

Although she couldn't sense any hostility from him, she didn't let her guard down.

Abruptly, she turned her head and felt pain jolt her neck. The girl let out an involuntary shriek of pain. It felt as if her head was severed from her body.

Immediately, the boy was there, cradling her in his lap.

"It's okay, you'll be okay," he whispered encouragingly to her as she fought off the pain.

His eyes locked onto hers the entire time - the intense charcoal black orbs staring into the pain filled brown ones.

Gradually, the agony dwindled down to nothing and the boy sighed in relief as the girl calmed.

"Who are you?" The girl whispered after a brief silence. The boy stared at her lips, swearing that he just saw a spec of dust zooming into her mouth. He shook his head and smirked.

"Your savior, Natsu Dragneel." The blonde blushed and muttered softly,

"Arigato, Natsu." He felt his cheeks grow warm for no reason and he tugged his scaly white scarf to cover his face.

"You're welcome. Now you have to tell me your name since I told you mine!" Natsu sat down in front of her and crossed his legs, waiting smugly.

The girl hesitated and then sighed, a grin pulling at her lips.

"Lucy Celestine," She told Natsu the last name Celestia gave her and offered her hand to him. "It's nice to meet you!"

Humph, Natsu thought, shaking her hand with a wide grin. She's not bad after all.

"Sooooo..." Lucy trailed off and pulled the blanket closer. Natsu stared curiously.

"What?" He asked.

"Well, can you explain what happened? It's not everyday that I face a giant monster and then get rescued by someone with pink hair!" Lucy exclaimed, waving her hands widely. Natsu tensed, hoping she wouldn't get hurt.

"Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to sound ungrateful." Lucy misread his tenseness and looked away, ashamed. Pain jolted her body again.

Shocked, she fell face first towards the ground, arms tangled in the blanket.

"Oof! Geez Luce, I thought you were the smart one here." Natsu caught her before she hit the ground and he smiled down at her. She felt her heart race a little and struggled to tone down her blush.

"Now stay there," Natsu gently placed her head in his lap and began to stroke her hair with long, smooth strokes. "I was passing through when I heard something…" He spoke.

* * *

><p>"<em>Igneel? Igneel? Where are you?" Natsu called as he walked through the forest, gripping his scarf. He peeked behind trees, not realizing that if the dragon were there, he would've already found him.<em>

_A sudden scream pierced the air._

"_Wendy! Take the bracelet and get out of here – I'll hold it back!" An unfamiliar voice shouted before a thud resounded through the forest._

_The urge to find Igneel was placed aside as Natsu ran towards the source of noise._

* * *

><p><em>Thump, thump, thump. A continuous sound beat against the ground and <em>_Natsu knew he was close. Sprinting the last few feet, he darted behind a tree to watch the battle unfolding._

_There, facing each other in the small clearing was an enormous rock lizard and a small blonde girl._

_Fwip. The spiked tail of the lizard arced through the air towards the girl. With lightening quick reflexes, she jumped over the incoming tail and back flipped in the air. He noticed the muscles in her arms and legs and her lean but strong figure and immediately knew that she was no ordinary girl._

_She might be like me, Natsu mused, but he ruled it out. There was no way he could have enough luck to –_

"_Celestial Dragon's Starry Fist!" He stood up straight immediately and observed as the blonde jumped into the air towards the seemingly distracted rock lizard._

_However, he knew that these kinds of monsters were deceptively good actors and would trick the enemy into believing that they were helpless, and then attack._

_Natsu wanted to step out of the brush and help the blonde, but all he could do was stand frozen and watch as she succumbed to her doom. The lizard's jaws were slowly closing and the girl; the blonde girl was sticking her arm into its mouth!_

_He watched as the girl punched into the rock lizard's mouth and the monster reeled back, causing the blonde to jump off of it. She rolled to a stop near a tree where he was hiding and Natsu stared at her right arm._

_It was drenched in monster saliva, but the worst part was that it seemed that it had contact with one of the most dangerous diseases – the one that everyone called "The Summons"._

_From experience, Natsu knew that the virus could be spread from monster saliva and it caused "plants" to grow on the victim's contact area. The plants were actually of the magic draining variety and they also had freezing and paralysis ability._

_After the victim was paralyzed or frozen, the buds on the 'flowers' would bloom and release signal spores that attracted other monsters to the helpless victim._

_Natsu watched as the girl sat against the tree trunk and closed her eyes for a long time. She seemed to be thinking to herself, but she didn't seem to know what she was dealing with._

_It was only when the girl lost conscious and the glowing eyes of other monsters began to appear when Natsu emerged from the tree line and carried her to safety._

* * *

><p>"I brought you to a different part of the forest and I was going to bandage you up, but you started to glow and heal yourself." Natsu shrugged. "So I just covered you up with a blanket. Then you slept for a day."<p>

"Ah," Lucy sighed and began to glow again. "Arigato. The glowing is voluntary thanks to my training…" She smiled and the glow disappeared.

Slowly, Lucy stood up and stretched. Natsu watched her cautiously.

"Be careful. You're probably not fully recovered yet-"

"Don't worry," She grinned at the kneeling boy. "I'm fine." To prove it, Lucy cracked her neck and sprinted for the nearest tree. Natsu watched with interest as she leaped up the trunk and back flipped, landing on the ground.

"Fight me!" He leaped up as the blonde walked back over. Lucy smirked.

"Sure, why not?" She said and shrugged.

* * *

><p>"Oww, next time I'll beat you!" Both kids lay on the ground with bruises all over their bodies.<p>

"Don't you worry, Natsu – I promise I'll beat you. One day, I will!"

Lucy exclaimed, pointing her finger at the boy lying near her. Natsu snickered.

"That's impossible 'cause I'm gonna beat _you_ one day!" He said.

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"I promise as the student of Celestia to beat you!"

"I promise as the student of Igneel to beat you!" Lucy and Natsu both sprung up and began fighting again, forgetting about their injuries.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen by the time the two had prepared camp and Lucy had healed Natsu.<p>

"Neh, Natsu?" The blonde lay on her stomach, gazing at the flickering fire.

"Yeah Luce?" Natsu sat down on a log, stringing some fish onto a stick.

"What kind of magic do you use?" She questioned, still staring at the dancing flames. The flames disappeared and the moon illuminated the silent clearing. Lucy stifled a shriek.

"I'm a fire dragon slayer." Flames appeared on Natsu's hand as he stood in front of Lucy. He inhaled and then exhaled a thin stream of fire, relighting the campfire.

"That's awesome!" Lucy jumped up, excited. "Guess what my magic is!"

"Hmmm," Natsu pondered the question. "You're a dragon slayer as well!"

"That's right!"

"Cool! Wait, what?" He looked at Lucy in shock. "You're a dragon slayer as well?"

"And I thought you'd already figured it out after you saw me fighting the rock lizard." Lucy giggled.

She stepped into the moonlight and looked at Natsu. To his shock, she was absorbing the light and a silvery gold magical aura was building up around her.

Then, Lucy walked back to the campfire and held out her right hand to Natsu. Small silver things danced on the palm of her hand and he leaned forward to get a better look.

"Fairies…" Natsu whispered, and they were. Glowing softly with moonlight, the fairies pranced around on Lucy's hand.

"Why don't they fly away?" He asked Lucy curiously. The blonde girl smiled and leaned down closer to her hand.

"Because I called them." She whispered to him, looking at the dancing fairies. The two sat there watching the fairies until one of them flew up to Lucy's ear. It whispered something in her ear and Lucy waved her left hand, sending the fairies home.

"Okay. It's dinner time, Natsu!" Lucy jumped up and ran to the cooked fish.

"Hey! Save some for me!" Natsu sprung up and chased after Lucy who was holding all of the fish.

That night, the stars twinkled a little brighter over the two joyous children.

* * *

><p>July 25th, X777:<p>

Two, fun-filled, active weeks passed by and Lucy and Natsu grew closer than ever.

"Best friends forever! Pinky promise, Natsu?" Lucy waved her pinkie in front of Natsu's face.

"W-w-well, I-I-I…" Natsu stuttered.

"Come on, pleeeaaaase?" Lucy pleaded with her large brown eyes and a cute pout.

"Fine," Natsu turned away to hide his blush and intertwined his pinkie with hers. "It's a promise."

"Yay!" Lucy squealed and hugged Natsu, sending the two tumbling to the dirt. Blueberry bushes lined the river nearby and a basket of blueberries sat forgotten close by.

"H-h-hey, N-N-Natsu, s-s-stop!" Lucy gasped as he tickled her Achilles heel - her stomach.

"Never!" He said while striking a heroic pose, one bare foot on her stomach and his arms on his hips. Relentlessly, he tickled her.

"Wait a second." Natsu froze, his ears perked up slightly and his nose twitched. Lucy stopped laughing as well and her ears and nose were also alerted to the foreign sounds and smells.

Rustle rustle. Their ears picked up a strange sound and their noses smelled something stinky coming their way.

Natsu stood up and Lucy did as well. They both narrowed their eyes at the forestry near the abandoned blueberry basket. A large black something was headed their way and it seemed hostile.

* * *

><p>"ROOOAAAARRRR!" The monster burst out of the tree line and Natsu pushed Lucy behind him.<p>

This monster was different and they both could tell. It looked like an ordinary forest Vulcan, but something had tampered with it and its magic aura had turned more sinister.

"Lucy, move!" Natsu pushed her to the side as the Vulcan slammed a large fist down where they had been standing before.

Lucy gasped as it removed its fist and the two kids could see the damage. The ground itself had been dented inwards and the Vulcan's fist print could be seen clearly imprinted in the ground.

Mortified, Lucy lifted her arms and the ground filled itself back up with planetary dust.

"Kyaaa!" She shrieked as Natsu lifted her up and jumped to the other side of the clearing.

"Be careful, Luce." He told her, staring at the Vulcan who had destroyed the ground where they had previously stood.

"Okay, let's take that thing down." Lucy stated, preparing herself. "Let's go!"

"I'm all fired up!" The two sprinted towards the Vulcan who turned to face them. Its eerie red eyes glowed as it observed the two kids running towards it.

Lucy ran towards its right side, dodging its fist while Natsu ran towards its left side, jumping over fallen logs.

They both leaped into the air and shouted at the same time,

"Celestial Dragon's Starry Fist!"

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Their attacks pushed the Vulcan back into a tree where it stayed.

Lucy ran to examine it and kneeled by its side when,

"LUCY! GET AWAY FROM IT! IT'S STILL-" The blonde looked up to see the Vulcan leering at her with red eyes.

Time froze as Natsu saw the Vulcan raise its claws and swipe at Lucy's head. He seemed to move in slow motion as the blonde flew through the air, and then things sped up again.

"LUCY!" Natsu leaped up and caught the injured girl.

"H-h-hey N-n-Natsu," She smiled weakly at him as he tried to staunch her bleeding head. "T-t-that w-w-was p-pretty d-dumb o-of m-m-me, h-h-huh?"

"Yeah, t-t-that was dumb alright, Luce. Why'd you even do that you weirdo?" He tried to stay calm as the blood continued to stream down Lucy's head.

"Eh, heh, heh…" Lucy gasped for air. "W-watch out, NATSU!"

With a surprising amount of strength, she pushed him to the side and held up both hands in front of her.

"C-Celestial Dragon's Shining Cage!" She casted her spell and slumped to the ground. A gleaming barrier of stardust formed around the charging Vulcan and it roared in anger, stopping in its tracks.

"Lucy!" Natsu hurried to her and picked her up. "I'm getting you out of here."

"W-w-wait, N-n-n-Natsu…" She protested weakly.

"No," Natsu stared down at her as he speed walked to the river.

"There's a village down the river somewhere and I'll meet you there after I take care of the monster."

Natsu walked over to a boat anchored in the river and gently placed Lucy in it. He took off his scarf and wrapped it around his friend's neck.

"B-b-but-" She tried to protest again, but Natsu grinned at her.

"Cheer up! There's no way I'd lose against a Vulcan! I'll see you soon, I promise!" He reached into the river and pulled out the boat's anchor, tossing it next to Lucy.

"Take good care of Igneel's scarf!" He reminded her before pushing the boat away from shore. Swiftly, the current tugged the boat into the middle of the river and Natsu began to head back.

"I-I-I p-p-promise, N-n-Natsu! N-next t-t-time I-I-I'll b-beat y-y-you!" Lucy managed to shout at him before his figure disappeared.

* * *

><p>Still on the bank of the river, Natsu heard Lucy's words drift to him.<p>

"Tch," He smiled sadly. "I'll try to see you soon, Luce. I'll try to…"

With that parting statement, he turned away and walked back into the clearing where the Vulcan was waiting.

"Uh oh," He muttered as he entered the clearing. It seemed like the

Vulcan had decided to call its buddies. They all looked at him with creepy red eyes as he walked in.

"Well then," Natsu punched his right hand into his left and lit it on fire. "I'm all fired up!"

* * *

><p>Time Skip~<p>

_There's Aquarius, and Cancer, and Virgo_. Lucy gazed at the starry night sky. The healing glow, as she called it, had already occurred twice and her head had stopped bleeding, but it still hurt like crazy.

The night was silent and the only sound was the soft swishing of water as Lucy's boat slowly drifted down the river.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing water coming farther downstream reached her ears. _No, it can't be_, she thought, panicked as the source of the sound came into view. _There's no way that Natsu overlooked a waterfall!_

Only a few yards away now, the river abruptly stopped to spill over a ledge down into an enormous pool of water. Lucy sighed. There was no way she could stop the boat now.

She looked over the edge of the boat and to her relief, there were no rocks waiting for her at the bottom of the waterfall. However, the fall from the top of the rush of water would certainly get her killed if she was in the boat.

_I'm jumping out_, she decided just as the boat began to tip. Lucy leaped out of the wooden boat and flipped into a dive position.

Splash! The entering to the water was smoothly done and Lucy almost smiled. She began to swim up to the surface when something grabbed ahold of her leg.

Turning, she saw a long, slimy tentacle gripping onto her bare leg. No matter how she twisted and pulled, it wouldn't release its hold.

Lucy knew that she didn't have enough air or energy to cast another spell so she continued to try to swim to the surface. The tentacle began to reel her in and slowly; she was pulled further under the water.

Sorry, Natsu, she thought as her air supply was used up and her vision began to turn black.

* * *

><p>A sudden flash of golden light caused the tentacle to release its prey, but by then, Lucy was already unconscious.<p> 


	4. Fateful Encounter

**Author's Note:**

Chapter four of _Past and Present_ is up!

I wrote chapter five along with it so I'm posting two chapters tonight. :D

Enjoy!

~Nora

* * *

><p><strong>Thank You's:<strong>

A big thank you to the readers who faved and followed my fanfic!  
>I hope this story fits what you're looking for. ;)<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any other already copyrighted material. Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail *what a genius!* I only own my own words, ideas, thoughts, and imagination. And ice cream! I like ice cream!<strong>

* * *

><p>July 26th, X777<p>

"Ughh," The girl opened her weary eyes to bright rays of sunlight. She felt someone shaking her.

"Just a few more minutes, Natsu…" She mumbled, closing her eyes and turning to the side of her pillow.

"Do I need punishment, hime?" There was silence as Lucy tried to process the words. They seemed so familiar…

"Ah! Virgo?" Lucy sat up quickly and saw the pink-haired maid spirit sitting across from her.

"How'd you get here? What happened?" She asked the spirit.

"Aquarius-san sensed your distress and rescued you from the village guardian. Then, I came to help redress you and I brought you blankets and pillows." Virgo replied monotonously. Then, seeing Lucy's blank look, she asked again,

"Do I need to be punished, hime?"

"No, no, no!" Lucy shook her head rapidly. She smiled at her friend.

"Arigato, Virgo. I suppose you've also bandaged my head?" She gingerly touched the wrapping on her head.

"Yes. Do you need anymore assistance, hime?"

"No, but can you tell Aquarius that I said thank you, please, Virgo?"

"Yes, but I believe that she's more interested in your boyfriend, hime." Virgo informed Lucy who chocked on air.

"W-what? Virgo!" She called to Virgo, but the spirit had already returned to the Spirit World.

"Geez," Lucy sighed and her thoughts returned to Natsu. "I hope he's alright." She put on the new clothes and shoes Virgo had brought and fastened on her belt.

Her keys glowed at her side and she patted them affectionately. Until she met up with Natsu again, Aquarius, Cancer, Virgo, Plue, Lyra,

Crux, Caelum, and Horologium were the only ones she'd trust with her life.

"Now where's that village?" Lucy asked herself as she scanned her surroundings. The sleeping bag and pillow behind her vanished with a pop and she knew that Virgo had called them back to the Spirit World.

She sniffed the air for any traces of people and she picked up a trail. The trail led her to the waterfall where it suddenly stopped. She thought she heard voices behind the waterfall, but the crashing of water hindered her hearing.

"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!" Lucy called out. She could call all her spirits out using telepathy, but Aquarius was the only one who 'required' being formally requested.

A golden glow appeared in front of Lucy and Aquarius emerged from the light. The mermaid looking spirit wore her normal grumpy face and carried her urn with her.

"Tch," Aquarius looked at the ten-year old and frowned. "IF YOU EVER GET NABBED BY ANOTHER KRACKEN, CALL ME OUT!" Lucy covered her sensitive ears as Aquarius continued to rant.

"THAT THING WAS GOING TO EAT YOU, not that I care, BUT THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO TRAIN MORE AND GET A BOYFRIEND!" Aquarius took a deep breath and calmed slightly. "You should've called me out sooner, Lucy." She ruffled the blonde girl's hair fondly.

"I'm sorry Aquarius," Lucy hugged her friend quickly before pulling away.

"Tch." Aquarius turned her head away from Lucy and looked at the waterfall. "So what do you need?"

"Could you part the water for me?" Lucy asked Aquarius. The spirit frowned.

"Sure, but I get this weird feeling about whatever is behind there," Aquarius said.

"Me too, but I've got to find the village and wait for Natsu." Lucy declared.

"If you say so." Aquarius shrugged and lifted her urn. The water rose and parted in the middle, opening up a passageway.

Aquarius floated over to Lucy and the girl stepped onto a small wave of water, carrying her under the opening in the waterfall. As the two stepped through, the passageway stayed open behind them.

* * *

><p>Lucy gasped and Aquarius almost dropped her urn. Luckily for the mermaid spirit, she caught it before it hit the ground.<p>

"Holy spirit king, what _happened_ here?" The floating spirit gasped at the sight before them. Dozens of life size stone figures littered the brightly lit rocky cave.

"I-I don't know..." Lucy walked deeper into the rocky cavern. "These are people – and they're still alive. I can feel it! Their scent is present as well!"

She trailed her hand lightly on the shoulder of a stone figure of a small girl. The girl's eyes were widened in horror, her hand stretched out in front of her, and her mouth gaping open in a silent plea. Lucy kneeled down and her shoulders shook with suppressed sobs.

"She can't be more than seven years old," Aquarius muttered and placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "It's not your fault, girly. Whoever did this must still be around."

"But that's the problem!" Lucy looked up with teary eyes. "I don't smell anyone or anything out of place." Aquarius looked at her master with stern eyes.

"Well, come on then. She's pointing towards the inside of the cave. Let's go!" Aquarius floated ahead leaving Lucy behind. The blonde paused for a second to wipe her eyes before gripping the fabric of Natsu's scarf tightly. She took a deep breath.

Before going after the rapidly disappearing Aquarius, she turned to the hall of statues and stood up straight, a proud four foot and three inches.

"Don't you worry – I'll save you guys." She smiled, revealing sharp canine teeth and patted the little stone girl's head gently before turning around and running after Aquarius.

"Hey! Wait up!"

* * *

><p>In the hall of statues behind her, a wave of quiet whispering broke out and slowly, the little stone girl closed her mouth and smiled.<p>

* * *

><p>"Lucy! Get your butt over here right now!"<p>

"Hai! Coming, Aquarius!" Lucy called and sprinted around the corner, almost bumping into Aquarius. "Oops!"  
>"Watch it, Lucy." Lucy peered at her friend curiously. <em>Usually, Aquarius would've been ruder.<em>

"Shh," The spirit put her finger to her lip and crept forward. Lucy followed Aquarius stealthily as they entered into a narrow hallway.

"Ohh," Lucy gasped as another stone statue came into view. This one was of a young woman who looked like she was around thirty years old. The woman was bent over as if she had been trying to catch something before she had turned to stone.

"She's not the least of our worries, Lucy." Aquarius's worried voice alerted Lucy. Her spirit never sounded worried. "Look at that." Aquarius tilted her head in the direction the woman was in.

A solid stone wall cut off the end of the hallway. Nearby, a small lacrima scanner was imbedded on the wall at shoulder height to the right of the stone.

"This isn't natural," Lucy observed, stepping forward to run her hand along the stone wall. "I believe the wall is moveable and that scanner probably activates it." Aquarius nodded in agreement.

"I think so as well. Something important is behind that wall and it probably is linked to whatever caused the people to turn to stone." A sudden sound caught Lucy's ear and both she and Aquarius turned just in time.

A hand clapped onto Lucy's shoulder and she screamed.

* * *

><p>"CELESTIAL DRAGON'S STARRY FIST!" She got a quick glimpse of orange hair, a weird beard, and a black cloak before the stranger was flung backwards through the air and into the wall.<p>

"Bleh…" The cloaked man's tongue stuck out and he was propped against the wall, motionless.

"AQUARIUS! WHAT SHOULD I DO?" Lucy wailed. "I KILLED A MAN! A REAL, LIVING, OLD MAAAAAAANNNNN!" The man jumped up suddenly. He looked around in a fighting stance, eyeing the other two suspiciously.

"Did someone call me old?" He asked.

"Yeah! I did!" Lucy called and stuck her tongue out at him. "Only old people sneak up on kids!" The two bickered and Aquarius lost it.

"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?" A tick mark appeared on her forehead and the mermaid spirit swung her urn, causing a mini tidal wave of water to spill out towards the two frightened humans.

"UWAHHHHHhhhhhhh…" Their voices trailed off as they were carried back out to the entrance hall. Aquarius sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Tch. Humans are so noisy." With that, she turned and floated back to the hall.

* * *

><p>"Aquarius… Why me too?" Lucy fake-sobbed. "And you left me with an old man – "<p>

"I am _not_ old." The orange-haired stranger retorted. Aquarius rounded the corner and her temper flared up.

"Will you two despicable humans _stop it_?" Her voice held more than a hint of danger.

"A-aye madam!" The stranger and Lucy hugged, their lips pulled in fake smiles. "We're the bestest of friends – and we definitely don't fight!"

Aquarius snorted. Realizing their actions, the stranger and Lucy recoiled from each other and turned, their back facing each other and their arms crossed.

"Tch. Calm down you two, will ya?" Aquarius sighed again. "Who are you anyways?" She directed her question at the orange-haired man.

"Yeah – who are you?" Lucy piped up and they both turned their attention to the cloaked man.

"Hmph," The cloaked man stood up and grinned proudly. "I am Gildarts Clive – an S-class mage of Fairy Tail. Who are you two?"

"Huh?" Lucy tilted her head. "I'm Lucy and this is my friend Aquarius. She's a celestial spirit. So, what's Fairy Tail?" Gildart's jaw dropped.

"You don't know what _Fairy Tail_ is?" He asked, astonished. Lucy shook her head.

"Nope!"

"Well," Gildarts crossed his arms and puffed his chest. "It's _only_ the _strongest_ mage guild in Fiore."

"Wow!" Lucy jumped up, her eyes sparkling. "It's a mage guild? That's so cool!" Gildarts chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"And I'm the most powerful mage there!" He boasted. Lucy narrowed her eyes.

"I don't believe you," She said disbelievingly.  
>"Hmph," Gildarts huffed. "You haven't even seen my magic yet – it's called <em>crash magic<em>." Having said that, he held out his arm and directed it at the parted waterfall.

A shining silver net soared through the air. The flowing water burst into tiny molecules, suspended in the sunlight as Lucy and Aquarius both gaped at the sight.

"I'm actually here on a S-class mission," Gildarts paused. "It required a skilled mage to help protect some sort of stone and the only people I was supposed to meet were the villagers, but it seems that you guys are here as well – "

"Those are the villagers – you know that, right Smarty?" Aquarius sniffed disdainfully and pointed to the statues.

"Really?" Gildarts gasped and stared a statue straight in the eye. To his surprise, the eye blinked. "Gaah!"

"Wah!" Lucy jumped backwards at the sound of Gildart's shout. "What happened?"

"They're still alive! And this one winked at me!" Gildarts exclaimed. Lucy cautiously walked to the statue Gildarts was standing by and stared at it. It stared back at her and she talked.

"Can you understand me?" She asked the stone figure of a teenage boy. A moment passed before his mouth creaked open slightly and his voice echoed through the silent cavern.

"Yes." That one word changed Gildart's perspective of things. He moved closer to face the statue.

"Can you tell me where the sacred stone of Silvie is?" Immediately, whispers rose from the other statues.

"Hush!" The cavern fell silent as an elderly statue looked at Gildarts. "If you are an intruder – beware. Only someone with the guild mark of the guild that accepted the request can open the barrier. With that said, the stone is down there." The two humans and the spirit looked towards the passageway where they had been.

"Okay, I'm going!"

* * *

><p>"Remind me why you're coming again?" Gildarts sighed as the small blonde girl marched determinedly ahead, weaving through the statues.<p>

"You don't know where the barrier and the scanner is, of course." She explained without turning her head. "Also, you should go back, Aquarius." Lucy stopped before turning the corner and slashed her hand across her chest. Aquarius began to glow.

"Thanks for all your help!" She smiled at her friend, who disappeared with a slight incline of her head, and continued walking.

"So, what's a small kid like you doing out here by yourself?" Gildarts asked casually.

"I'm not small! I'm ten, for heaven's sake, and I am not out here by myself! Natsu is with me!" Lucy burst out suddenly. She clapped a hand over her mouth and stopped walking.

"Who's Natsu?" Gildarts broke the uncomfortable silence. Lucy turned her head to meet the older man's gaze.

"He's an awesome mage – like me! I'm waiting for him here until he returns from defeating a Vulcan." She explained and a toothy grin brightened her face. "He's a dragon slayer like me." Gildarts knelt down closer to Lucy, his face a mask of surprise.

"You're a dragon slayer?" He said, shocked. Lucy nodded and he harrumphed. "And here I thought you were a celestial spirit mage."

"Well, yeah," Lucy looked proud. "I'm that too." Leaving a stunned crash magic mage behind, she continued down the narrow corridor.

"Hurry up old man!" She teased. Snapping out of his stupor, Gildarts chased after her and almost slammed into her as she abruptly stopped.

"Watch out – there's another person here." Lucy warned him as she carefully navigated around the stone woman. Gildarts followed close behind her. "And here we are – the barrier."

Right in front of the two loomed the stone wall.

"This is the lacrima scanner," Lucy pointed to the lacrima in the wall. "You need to scan your guild mark like the other statue said in order to move the wall." Gildarts stepped in front of the scanner and lifted his cloak.

Lucy saw a black bird-like marking stamped on the left side of his chest. The scanner suddenly glowed blue as the guild mark was in front of it and with a sudden beep, it turned green.

With a rumble, the stone wall sank into the ground and Lucy and Gildarts moved forward. The room they walked into was a circular marble chamber. In the center of the small chamber was an empty pedestal.

"Where's the stone?" Gildarts asked, perplexed.

"It's right there!" Lucy ran forward and bent down to grab a large, silvery hued, egg shaped, rock. She held the stone with both of her hands, easily lifting its weight.

"Place it… back on the pedestal…" The two turned around to see the stone woman's mouth moving as her words reverberated in the chamber. Before Gildarts could speak, Lucy had already moved forward.

She gently set the sacred stone of Silvie down on the pedestal, but nothing happened. Suddenly, the chamber began to shake and the stone emitted a golden glow. Gildarts embraced the stunned Lucy protectively and covered them both with his cloak.

* * *

><p>Soon, the tremors ceased and the two looked up again.<p>

_Crack_. Lucy gasped and stood up first, Gildarts mimicking her movements.

"The stone!" She covered her mouth in horror. Gildarts gaped at the crack running along the stone he was supposed to be protecting.

"It cracked?" They stood in the chamber, frozen and confused.

"Do not worry," The two mages spun around to see a crowd of stone villagers filling up the entrance of the chamber.

The elderly stone villager stepped forward and smiled. "The stone is sacred to us because of what it holds. It was destined to break open in order for what is inside to find a new, stronger protector with a true, compassionate heart."

The stone elder looked at Lucy and held her within his wise gaze.

"That protector is you." He motioned for her to examine the cracked stone and she did as he asked.

Lucy gasped as a silver key twinkled amidst the crumbs of rock around it.

"I-it's _Draco_!" She exclaimed, grabbing the key and rubbing the zodiac sign on it eagerly. In response to her touch, the silver key glowed brightly and Lucy didn't wait any longer.

* * *

><p>"Open, Gate of the Dragon! Draco!" She chanted as she swished the key. Immediately, a golden glow bathed everyone in the room with its light.<p>

"RRROOOAAAARRR!" Gildarts was the only one to flinch. The villagers only watched with faces of awe as the glow dimmed… and a tiny dragon appeared, hovering in front of Lucy.

"Lucy Heartfilia, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," The little dragon inclined his head politely and Gildarts snorted. "However, your _friend_ over there doesn't seem quite as impressed as you are."

Draco whipped his head around to glare at Gildarts who only scoffed.

"How come you're so small? I thought only big dragons could produce such a roar."

"Lucy – KICK!" The ten year old shouted as she slammed her iron soled boot into the side of the man's face.  
>"W-w-what was that for?" Gildarts cried out, clutching his bruising cheek.<p>

"Humph. Show my friends some respect here. And also, Draco has two forms. He has a mini form and a regular form," Lucy stated, glaring at Gildarts as she cradled the small dragon spirit protectively. "This is only his mini form. You don't want to be on his bad side when he's in his regular form because he is one of the most powerful silver spirits in combat. Now, apologize."

"Mistress, please calm down. He only – "

"We're friends, Draco," Lucy said sternly to her spirit friend who was just as surprised as Gildarts as to how mature the ten year old sounded. "Friends help each other and talk to each other casually. There's no need to call me Mistress."

"Well okay then, hime." Draco replied and Lucy sighed. There was no way she'd be able to control her spirits.  
>"I'm sorry, Lucy. I didn't mean to criticize Draco." Gildarts apologized, slightly fearing the young girl's kick.<p>

"It's okay. I just need to finish my contract with Draco now." Lucy smiled at the aching man and waved a hand at him, murmuring something indiscernible.

A light green glow surrounded Gildarts who instantly felt better.

"Wow, not bad girly," Gildarts grinned with ease, his cheek not hurting anymore, and Lucy grinned back. "I have to say, your kick is pretty strong." Lucy chuckled.

"Yeah, I understand you." She turned around to finish her contract with Draco and unnoticed by Gildarts, she gently touched her right cheek. "Ouch."

* * *

><p>July 27th, X777<p>

"Who knew the stone villagers are actually stone people!" Lucy commented cheerfully as she bit into a peach, its sweet flavor refreshing her taste buds.

"Hmm," Gildarts nodded in agreement as he chewed his apple. "I still wonder how the request didn't mention that fact."

The two mages sat near the entrance of the cavern in the early light of day. It was around seven in the morning yet the forest beyond the cave village seemed to sparkle with life. Birds swooped in the sky, squirrels chittered excitedly in the tree branches, and even more wildlife roamed the recesses of the forest. From her spot near the parted waterfall, Lucy could hear everything that was going on.

"How long are you going to wait for him?" Gildarts broke the peaceful silence between them. Without looking at the older man, Lucy knew he was wearing a thoughtful expression.

"I will wait for him until he gets here. Or if he takes a long time, I'll go back into the forest to search for him." Lucy replied, still facing the vibrant nature outside. The two sat silently for another few minutes.

Out of the blue, Gildarts grabbed Lucy's small arm and the girl turned to look at her senior.

"You shouldn't go," He said and looked deep into her eyes. Lucy pulled back as if she had been hit.

"Of course I will!" Her voice rose in pitch and sound. "He's my best friend! Of all people, you should understand!" Gildarts recoiled and lowered his eyes to the ground in sympathy. He should understand.

After all, she had told him about her family history, but he knew she kept something from him. She had said that her last name was Celestine and he felt that she wasn't lying, but there was something else off about her tone…

He felt bad for Lucy since she obviously knew that he was keeping some information on the boy from her.

"Still, you should at least consider your safety, Lucy. The forest isn't the same – " Gildarts suddenly looked up. There was no trace of the blonde girl. He stood up and walked to the edge of the water. "Lucy?"

The trail of footsteps on the muddy ground on the other bank alerted him and Gildart's heartbeat increased.

"Oh no…" He yelled to the villagers that he was going out and took a flying leap across the surface of the water. With a thump, he landed on the other side and sprinted up the rocky hill into the forest.

* * *

><p>"Natsu? Naatsuuu? NAAAAAAAAATTTTTSSSSUUUUU?" Lucy called for her friend as she walked along the bank of the river she remembered she had floated down on. "HEY, COME ON OUT, NATSU. IT'S LUCY!"<p>

She finally came to a tree with a small carving on its trunk. The letters "N + L" were engraved on the surface of the trunk with a small star encircling them.

Lucy brushed her hand on the marking and took a deep whiff, smelling her best friend's ashy scent. Without further ado, she ran forward through a small opening in the trees and into the clearing, not even considering the faded, rusty quality of Natsu's scent.

* * *

><p>Gildarts found her sitting in the middle of the clearing, hugging the scaly white scarf she never took off. She shook, yet no tears fell.<p>

"Lucy?" Her head didn't turn, but he knew that she noticed his presence. He sat next to her and simply stared at the bones across from him. The mages stayed like that, just listening to the wind rustling through the leaves.

"This was our favorite berry picking spot." Lucy spoke, her voice dry and cracked, trying to retain some of its former emotions. She stood up and walked to the splintered wooden frame of a basket sitting near a blueberry bush.

"He loved to eat blueberries and all different kinds of fruit. In general, he liked anything that was edible." She laughed and the sound was slightly more cheerful, as if she was living in the past.

Gildarts listened closely and watched the girl move around, maneuvering around the gleaming piles of bones and ashes. He knew that this was her way of coping with her emotions.

"A-a-and this was the campfire. He loved to eat the fire I created with sticks and stones…" She shook even harder. Gildarts walked over to the girl and embraced her.

"I-I p-p-promised h-him t-that I'd b-be st-strong – "

"I learned from a very special person that tears are not a sign of weakness." He looked up to the cloudless azure sky and pulled the cloak tighter around Lucy.

"Teardrops can stand for many different things, some strong, some weak, yet they all tie into the love within our hearts. Everyone can love, some more than others, so it is never weak to cry to express your love. Only the bravest and strongest of people can do this and leave their selves so vulnerable and defenseless." Gildart's words drifted off.

With a sob, Lucy hugged him tighter and buried her face in his cloak, crying out her heart's song.

* * *

><p>Time Skip: Night<p>

"Fairies?"  
>"Yeah. They're called gypsy fairies because of their size and constant traveling."<p>

Above the crackling fire, the stars shimmered. Lucy stood up and absorbed the moonlight. Then, she cupped her hands and uncovered them after a few seconds.

Gildarts gazed in wonder as little silver beings danced across the palm of Lucy's hand. Suddenly, one flew up to Lucy's ear and after a second passed, she waved her other hand and the fairies disappeared.

"They had to go, but they said that they wanted me to tell you that you're much closer to someone special than you'll ever realized."


	5. Oak Town

**Author's Note:**

Here's the second-chapter-in-one-night I wrote!

I actually started writing the previous chapter earlier but since I had a lot of free time today, I just wrote extra. ;)

Enjoy this chapter!

~Nora

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any other already copyrighted material. Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail *what a genius!* I only own my own words, ideas, thoughts, and imagination. And ice cream! I like ice cream!<strong>

* * *

><p>July 28th, X777<p>

"Why are you following me again?" Gildarts asked with fake exasperation.  
>"I've decided to join a guild in order to help me search for Natsu and become stronger." Lucy trailed behind the older man.<p>

After bidding the hospitable stone villagers of Silvie goodbye (and Gildarts had received his reward), Gildarts had set off early in the day for home with a young blonde tagging along.

"What?" Gildarts stopped and spun around, lifting the squealing blonde high in the air. "That's great! However," He suddenly grew stern and placed the ten year old back on the dusty dirt path.

"There's a test to get into the strongest guild in Fiore, of course."  
>"WHAT?" Lucy's jaw dropped. "Oh no, I don't think I'll get in then… I'm not strong enough – "<p>

"Lucy." Gildarts placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder causing the girl to look up at him. "You're plenty strong enough. Plus, the test might not be what you expect." He removed his hand from her shoulder and continued walking.

"Come on. It'll take at least five days to walk to Magnolia." Lucy hurriedly ran to catch up with his long strides.

"Why don't we just ride the train then?" Gildarts halted.

"Don't all dragon slayers get motion sickness?" He asked Lucy, who grinned.

"Well I don't know, but if that's true it seems that I'm an exception." She gloated.

"Why didn't you tell me that before? Let's go!" Gildarts grabbed her hand and gave her a piggyback ride all the way to the nearest town.

* * *

><p>"Wow! This is Oak Town?" Lucy gasped as people brushed passed the two stationary mages.<p>

"Yup!" Gildarts grinned and led her to the train station. "I can give you a tour after we get tickets."

They pushed open the sturdy oak doors and onto a wide stone platform.

"Oof!" Lucy fell on the stone, scraping her elbow as she was pushed to the side.

"Watch it." Gildarts helped Lucy up, glaring at the masked stranger.

"Huh," The stranger looked Gildarts up and down, and then turned away. Before he could take so much as a step, Gildarts had grasped his arm.

"Apologize to her." He stared at the stranger angrily.

"Gildarts, it's fine, really – "

"No, Lucy - it's not. He _pushed_ you over and – " Gildarts argued with Lucy.

"I-I'm sorry, I must go." The stranger turned away, his cloak flapping and Lucy caught a light, breezy scent.

"Wendy?" The stranger froze before turning his head and smiling politely.

"That's not my name. I'm a boy." He said before sprinting out the doors, disappearing into the crowd of people.

"Wait!" Lucy rushed toward the door, but Gildarts held the collar of her shirt.

"We have to get the tickets now, Lucy." He looked apologetic. "They're going to be sold out soon if we don't hurry." Lucy sighed.

"It's fine Gildarts. Let's go!" They headed to the ticket booth and bought tickets from the vendor there. The train's departure was at five in the afternoon, but it was only three in the afternoon.

"Sightseeing it is!" Gildarts declared and promptly dragged Lucy out of the train station.

"First, though, I'm hungry. Let's get some food. They have a _really_ good coffeehouse and bakery. Not to mention a bar…" Lucy whacked Gildarts on the top of his head. "Oh, yeah, I need to watch you."

"I don't need watching, you old man! I'm ten years old!" Lucy kicked Gildarts in the shin with her iron-toed boot and wriggled out from his grasp. "I'll meet you at the station at four forty-five!"

Ignoring his shouts of protest, Lucy merged into the crowd; her scaled scarf the last thing to disappear. Gildarts sighed. _Oh well… I might as well pick up that cake…_

* * *

><p>Lucy roamed the cobblestone streets of Oak Town. Everything was so charming and peaceful and green! She waved hello to passerby on the street and petted some friendly cats. That reminded her.<p>

_Plue!_ The thought instantly connected her to her friend and within a few seconds, the Nikora had arrived.

"Pun pun!"  
>"Awww," Lucy cooed, scooping up the cute little spirit and nuzzling it. "I've missed you so much, Plue!"<br>"Puun, pun pun pun!" Plue waved his arms in agreement and Lucy carefully set her friend down.

"We're going to explore the wonderful Oak Town!" She cheered and jogged further down the hill with Plue.

* * *

><p>"Gloomy girl!"<br>"Rain woman!"  
>"She's absolutely awful to be around…"<p>

The blue haired girl sat in the center of the square and cried. She covered her face with her arms as the drips of water soaked her clothes. The sky above her darkened and clouds filled the sky.

Slowly, and then gradually increasing, the rain dripped from the sky.

"Let's get rid of her!"

"She's a witch!" The other children's voices echoed in the square as more of them gathered around her.

_Splat!_ An egg splattered on the front of her shirt and the shell stung her skin. She could feel a bruise beginning to form. The kids laughed. She was glad that it had started raining so that her tears could be disguised.

Defiant, she lifted her head and stuck out her tongue. Her eyes widened as another egg sailed towards her face. _I'm too slow…_ She closed her eyes for the hit.

_Splat!_ The laughter died and Juvia opened her eyes. A blonde-haired girl stood in front of her and had taken the hit. There was silence before one of her bullies spoke up.

"You should get out of here." He spoke in a nasally tone. "You're really pretty and we don't want to hurt you." The blunette saw the blonde stiffen and turn her head.

"Oh really?" She had a determined, angry tone. "Bullying others isn't right and you know what? I don't care if I'm pretty or ugly, thin or fat, short or tall, weak or strong, or dumb or smart." She stepped forward and the kids in front of her stepped back at the powerful aura she radiated.

"All _I_ care about is that you are bullying an innocent kid."

Suddenly, the blonde touched her lightly on the shoulder with one hand and the bluenette found her injuries and pain disappearing. A green glow built up and dissipated around her.

"Now _get out of here_." The blonde glared at the shocked and frightened kids around her and fearfully, they scurried away one by one.

* * *

><p>When the last kid ran out of the square, the blonde turned and knelt down next to the bluenette.<p>

"You okay?" Her brown eyes peered into the blue-haired girl's dark blue ones.

"J-Juvia is fine, arigato." Juvia answered with a sniffle. A small smile lit up the blonde's face and she grinned at Juvia. The blonde turned her head and a moment later, a small white snowman-lookalike tumbled around the edge of a box.

"Puu-pun!" It walked over to the two girls and Juvia giggled at its funny orange cone-shaped nose. The blonde hugged the snowman and then released it.

"I'm Lucy Celestine and this is Plue, my friend and a celestial spirit." Lucy introduced herself and the shivering snowman. "He's a Nikora – the Canis Minor." Juvia finally loosened up and smiled.

"Juvia is Juvia Lockser. Juvia is ten." She bowed to Lucy and Plue. "Arigato Lucy-san, Plue-san."

"No problem Juvia! I'm ten as well!" Lucy smiled again while Plue just cheered.

"Puu-pun, pun puu-pun!" The two opened their mouth and tilted their heads up to catch the falling rain.

"What is Lucy-san and Plue-san doing? Juvia wonders." Juvia said, confused at their actions.

"Ah," Lucy looked at Juvia and winked. "Please drop the -san, Juvia. We're friends! Plue and I are just catching raindrops. Would you like to join? It's really fun!" Juvia's eyes spun.

"F-friends?"  
>"Yeah!" Lucy grinned and Juvia noticed her abnormally sharp canines. "It's only if you want to be, of course – "<p>

"YES!" Juvia jumped at Lucy and hugged her tightly. "Juvia has never had friends before." Lucy only grinned wider and hugged the ecstatic girl back.

"Well then, Plue and I are honored to be your first friends!" Lucy leaned back to catch more raindrops but only a few more dripped down before the sky cleared and the sun peeked out.

"Hey, it stopped raining! Unfair! Plue – that does not count as a win!" Lucy pouted at Plue.

"W-wow…" They turned to Juvia who was gazing at the brilliant blue sky.

"Is something wrong Juvia?" Juvia turned and gave her new friends a brilliant smile.

"Nothing. Everything is just perfect for Juvia!" Her friends giggled and she linked arms with Lucy while Plue sat on their linked arms. The three walked down a street into a slightly more crowded plaza.

* * *

><p>"Let's go to a painter!" Lucy exclaimed. "Except," Her smile drooped.<p>

"THAT OLD MAN FORGOT TO GIVE ME SOME MONEY!" Juvia and Plue sweat dropped.

"It's fine, Lucy. Juvia has some money that Juvia can use for a group painting!"  
>"You're the best, Juvia!"<br>"Puu pun!"

"Around here, Grandma Ariana paints the best. Juvia shall lead the way!" Juvia suggested as she steered the small trio past vendors and their stalls and groups of people.

* * *

><p>"Here!" They looked up at the brightly painted sign that read, Grandma Ariana's Art Studio. A bell tinkled sweetly as they entered the small studio crammed with paintings, sculptures, and other items on display. Despite the many things in the room, Lucy and Plue found it to create a rather cozy effect.<p>

"Hello Juvia. My, my, I see you've brought some acquaintances over!" A white-haired granny peered over her spectacles.

"Actually, Juvia wants to introduce Juvia's friends, Lucy, and Plue!" Juvia smiled and the granny beamed.

"Delightful! Welcome, welcome! Any friend of Juvia is mine. Would you like some tea and sandwiches? They're homemade!" Lucy smiled.

"Yes, please. I'm starving!" Juvia and Plue nodded in agreement.

"Well said, my girl!" The granny disappeared into the back room and emerged a minute later carrying a tray loaded with tea, sandwiches, and sweets. Lucy's mouth began to water.

"Sit down here and help yourselves to the sweets and tea!" Ariana instructed. "Here's a sandwich for Juvia, Lucy, and – " The grandma gasped.

"Oh my lord – is that a Nikora?" Her spectacles fell off and hung on the chain around her neck. Lucy nodded and the old woman laughed breezily. "It's been so long since I've seen one… May I shake your hand?" Plue nodded and Ariana nearly wept tears of joy as she clutched the spirit's hand.

"I used to be a celestial spirit mage myself." She wiped the tears away from the corners of her eyes. "For allowing me to meet a spirit again, your favor shall be for free." Before anyone could protest, she had already continued.

"What did you come here for?" Ariana asked.

"We wanted two group paintings," Lucy answered for the trio and she also whispered quietly to the old woman. "I'd also like three of your specialty heart lockets." Ariana smiled.

"It's my pleasure!" She grabbed her easel and her paint set and began to set up.

"Everyone in your places, please." Lucy, Juvia, and Plue froze where they were at the table and smiled. Within five minutes, the painting was finished.

"Wait guys," Lucy handed a locket to Plue and Juvia. When they opened it, a smaller painting of them was visible.

"Juvia thanks Lucy for the gift!" Juvia hugged Lucy.

"Pun puuu-pun!" Plue hugged his master.

"Ah, friendship is great!" Ariana joined the group hug. They stayed there for a few moments before Lucy remembered her promise to Gildarts. _Oh no! Horologium! What time is it?_ She asked her clock spirit. _It is four forty-four._

"Plue! We have to go now!" She said, panicked, the first one to break from the group hug. "Sorry Juvia! Sorry Ariana! We have to meet the old man or else he'll get scary!"

She closed Plue's gate.

"I'll contact you guys through mail!" Waving goodbye, Lucy sprinted to the train station. _10 seconds before four forty-five. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. _Lucy burst through the doors to find an amused Gildarts leaning against the wall.

"Ready?" He asked her.

"As ready as I'll ever be!"


	6. A Fairy's Tail

July 29th, X777

Sometime around 10:23

"Lucy, wake up!" Someone was shaking her. "Come on, Sleepy Head."

Immediately, the girl sat up. "Hmm?" She let out a massive yawn and the man sitting in front of her laughed. "Hey Gildarts."

"You finally woke up." Gildarts grinned. "That's good since we've arrived." Lucy perked up.

"Really? We're at Magnolia?" She peaked eagerly out the window only to see the land still rolling past. "What? Why's the train still moving?" Gildarts grinned evilly.

"This marks the beginning of your test." Lucy grinned back, baring her sharp canines.

"Bring it on!"

* * *

><p>The alarms blared as the glass shattered. Security barged in to find a blonde-haired girl climbing out the shattered window of the train.<p>

"See ya!" She shot a wide grin at them before leaping out. The officers rushed to the window to see the girl roll in the grass before coming to a stop. She saluted them cheekily before disappearing from their view.

* * *

><p>"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Lucy jumped up and down on the dewy grass, watching as the train rolled away.<p>

"Good job." Gildarts grinned and ruffled her hair. "Now let's get to Magnolia." He raced into the forest behind them before she could smack him.

The energetic blonde smirked and jumped into a tree. She chased the older man through the forest, silently following his scent trail in the branches. A small cottage came into view; smoke spiraling out of its chimney. Gildarts stopped at the hut and knocked on the door before being brutally whacked on the head.

"OW! Stop it! Crazy old hag!" He shielded his face from the unforgiving broom. Lucy's heart stopped as she saw the woman. Her pink hair was up in a bun and she wore a long red cloak. The woman's scent, though, was of a dragon's.

"I HATE HUMANS! GET OUT OF HERE!" She winced at the older woman's piercing shriek. Abruptly, the pink-haired elder stopped and peered into the trees where Lucy hid. The blonde stiffened and held her breath.

"You can come out now." It wasn't a question – it was a demand and Lucy knew enough from Celestia that the dangerous tone the woman held meant business. She sighed and reluctantly dropped from the branches of the magnolia tree.

"Lucy!" Gildarts looked surprised and the young girl laughed as she walked over.  
>"Ha! You didn't even know that I was trailing you- OUCH!" The old woman whacked her broom on the girl's head.<br>"Hmph… Humans…" She muttered, looking Lucy up and down distastefully.

"So, what do you think, Porlyusica?" Gildarts looked at the woman. She snorted.

"Come here, Girl." Lucy walked forward obediently and the old woman poked her with the stick of her broom.

"Hmm," She stretched the blonde's cheeks and felt her pulse. "She seems strong enough but… SHE'S A HUMAN!" Lucy didn't even flinch.  
>"And you smell of a dragon…" The ten year old stared at the old woman unflinchingly. Porlyusica stared at Lucy closely.<p>

"Humph, she's good." The herbalist turned and walked back into her cottage. "Now get out of my house." The door slammed shut.

"So…" Gildarts laughed awkwardly. "That was a relatively good encounter."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Lucy exclaimed.

"It means you've passed the second part of the test." Gildarts grinned and ran away again. "Now hurry up! We've got to get to the guild!"

* * *

><p>"He's back!" Rumbling shook the streets.<p>

"Citizens, please stay in stable parts of the city. The Gildarts Shift is commencing." A female's voice broadcasted through Magnolia and Lucy's eyes widened as she walked with Gildarts. The city was beginning to shift around and soon a walkway was assembled with solid concrete walls on either side of the path.

"Why in the world would they need to shift the entire city?" Gildarts only chuckled and rubbed his head.

"Let's just say that I can be pretty… out of it sometimes…"

A majestic, three-story high building loomed in front of them. Each floor of the building was smaller than the one below it and together; they were stacked to form a pagoda-like structure. Near the very top of the building were three banners, the center one holding Fairy Tail's bird-like symbol. A small dome sat on the very top of the structure.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Gildarts swept Lucy onto his shoulders and the blonde reached up to touch the carved fairies as they passed underneath the archway.

"Whoa! It's ginormous! So this is a guild of mages? Awesome!" She gasped.

"Do Fairies really have tails? Do they even exist? No one can say for sure. Like them, this place is as eternal mystery – a never-ending adventure!" Gildarts grinned at the excited girl. "That's the real meaning behind the name."

"I'M BACK!" With a mighty kick, Gildarts slammed open the doors.

"WELCOME BACK, GILDARTS!" The people in the guild cheered.

"How'd the mission go?"

"Was it hard?"

"Must've not been, since it only took him three days."

"Hey Gildarts! Who's that girl?" The question made Lucy flinch and want to hide somewhere.

"Oh, her?" Gildarts placed Lucy onto the floor and grinned. "She's my student!"

"SHUT UP OLD MAN!" Lucy whipped her fist back and punched Gildarts in the gut. "I WOULD NEVER BY YOUR STUDENT!" She fumed as the crash magic mage doubled over and wheezed.

"I-I was j-just k-k-kidding, geez…" Gildarts huffed and clutched his midsection.

"Aha ha ha!" A man pounded the table, wiping tears from his eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day when Gildarts would get scolded by a child." Gildarts straightened up immediately.

"Shut up, Macao! You too, Wakaba!" He pushed the still furious blonde forward. "This is Lucy! She's a new recruit."

"Aww, she's a cute one!"

"How old is she?"

"Does she use magic?"

"Go introduce yourself to the others." Gildarts faced Lucy in a direction and walked away.

"Hey! Gildarts, don't just leave me… here…" Lucy sighed, suddenly shy, and played with her hair. She walked over to the group of kids and they turned to her.

* * *

><p>"H-Hi! I'm Lucy," The blonde fidgeted nervously, eyes facing the floor. She lifted her head when a hand plopped onto her shoulder.<p>

"Hi Lucy! I'm Levy! And this is Lisanna!" A blue-haired girl pointed to herself and a girl with short white hair standing next to her. They smiled at Lucy and reluctantly; the blonde cracked a small smile.

"How old are you?" The white-haired girl, Lisanna, asked her.

"I'm ten." She answered meekly and jumped when Levy and Lisanna both squealed.

"We're ten as well!" Levy exclaimed. "Come on – we'll introduce you to the others, Lu-chan!"

"L-Lu-chan?" Lucy stuttered as she was dragged away.

"Levy is always making nicknames up for people!" Lisanna explained, walking next to the being-dragged newcomer. Levy dropped Lucy's hand and blushed.

"It's okay with you, right Lu-chan?" Lucy smiled softly, but it soon turned into a frown.

"No, sorry…" She muttered, the nickname reminding her all too much of the pink-haired boy.

"Okay then… Come on!" Levy was disappointed, but she managed to smile at the newcomer and continued to drag her somewhere.

* * *

><p>"Who the hell're you?" A half naked boy squinted at Lucy, sitting atop a barrel. The blonde narrowed her eyes at him.<p>

"Are you supposed to be a stripper?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Gray! Put some clothes on!" A girl with short brown hair tied in a ponytail blushed, pointing at the heap of clothes next to her.

"H-How'd this happen again!?" The black-haired boy jumped up and threw on his clothes.

"Cana, Gray, this is Lucy!" Levy introduced to the brown-haired girl and the dark haired boy while Lisanna giggled at his antics.

"Yay! Another girl!" Cana pulled Lucy in for a hug.

"Tch." Gray turned his head away from Lucy and crossed his arms over his bare chest.

"You lost your shirt again." Lucy pointed out and that sent the boy back into a panicked search for his missing article of clothing. "Is he always like this?" She asked Cana. The brunette smiled sheepishly.

"Unfortunately, yes." She answered and the girls chuckled.

"Ah, yes! We have to introduce you to someone special, Lucy!" Levy, Lisanna, and Cana dragged the newcomer to the nearby table.

"Erza!" A scarlet-haired girl wearing armor looked up from the slice of cheesecake she was eating. "This is Lucy. She's a new member." Erza stood up from the table and extended her hand.

"I'm Erza. It's a pleasure to meet you." Lucy grasped her hand and shook it firmly.  
>"Same for me." She peeked at the cake Erza was eating. "Is that… strawberry cheesecake?" Lucy began to drool.<br>"Yes, it's heaven!" Erza said dreamily. Lucy nodded in agreement and the three other girls sweat dropped.

* * *

><p>"Snort." The armored girl spun around, her braid trailing after her.<p>

"Laxus…" She glared at the blonde-haired boy who was wearing a set of magic headphones over his ears.

"That's Laxus, the grandson of Master Makarov." Lisanna whispered to Lucy. "He's sixteen and a second generation lightning dragon slayer."

The blonde girl's eyes widened and she nodded.

"Did you say something, Laxus?" Erza glared at the male, who shrugged and turned away. Erza "hmphed" and sat down, picking up her fork.

With a clatter, the plate was sent flying to the ground. Erza watched with wide eyes as the cake smashed into the ground, no more than a sweet clump of mushy stuff.

"How's the cake, Fatso?" A devilish looking girl wearing skimpy black clothes leaned on the table, her white hair in a ponytail and a dark purple headband in her hair. Immediately, Erza began glaring at the girl.

"Did you do that, Mirajane?"

"Eh heh heh…" Lisanna giggled nervously. "That's my older sister…" Lucy gaped at the girl in shock and both Levy and Cana laughed at her reaction.

"Your personalities are completely different!" Lucy exclaimed, drawing the punkish girl's attention.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Mirajane took a step forward and the three other girls stepped back, leaving Lucy.

"Hi! I'm Lucy." The blonde smiled and extended her hand to the older girl. Mirajane glanced at it before slapping it away and leaning closer to the newcomer.

"Pretty looks aren't everything about this guild." Levy and Cana gasped. Lisanna stepped forward beside her friend.

"Mira-nee, be nice –"

"Be quiet, Lisanna." Now, the entire guild was watching the events unfold before them. Even Laxus took off his sound pod to listen. Lucy simply placed an arm around Lisanna and spoke.

"Well, if it were, then you wouldn't be here." She retorted and Gray whistled from his perch on the barrel. Mirajane fumed.

"I challenge you to a duel!" The white-haired girl shouted. Lucy smirked.

"Bring it on." Without wasting a second, Mirajane leaped forward. She aimed a punch at the blonde. Lucy pushed Lisanna to the side and nimbly jumped over the charging girl.

"Hi-ya!" She kicked Mirajane in the back and the older girl toppled into the wall.

"It's not over yet!" Mirajane stood up and circled Lucy. Suddenly, the blonde jumped up into the rafters and sat there, sticking her tongue out at Mirajane.

The girl below smirked and revealed a ring of keys dangling on her fingers. Lucy's eyes widened.

"GIVE THEM BACK!" She leaped down and jumped onto Mirajane. The two scuffled, throwing punches and kicks at each other before Lucy detangled herself from the other girl.

"GOTCHA!" She pinned Mirajane down and with a chop, hit her pressure point. Without a sound, the white-haired girl fainted. Lucy grabbed her keys and attached them back to her belt. Grinning, she looked up to see everyone staring at her.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked nervously. Suddenly, everyone began cheering and Levy, Lisanna, and Cana hugged her.

"You beat Mira, Lu-chan!" Levy exclaimed, squeezing her friend tightly.  
>"You were amazing, Lucy!" Cana snuggled closer to the blonde.<br>"Wow! You're strong, Lucy!" Lisanna smiled at Lucy. An armored chest plate smashed into her face and she wobbled.

"Outstanding work, Lucy." Erza nodded in approval and joined the group hug.

"Hey!" The five girls turned and Mira stood up. She held out her hand to Lucy.

"Good job." The blonde stared at the hand and then at the girl with a smirk. She batted the hand away – leaving Mirajane confused – and hugged the girl instead.

"GROUP HUG!" The four other girls cheered and joined Mirajane and Lucy's embrace.

"What?"

"A group hug for the newcomer?"

"Let's join!" The adults watched as the kids hugged and celebrated with the new recruit. Even Laxus joined in, albeit reluctantly.

Only Gray stood to the side, watching. Lucy saw him through the crowd of faces and smiled at him.

"Come on, Gray! Hugging is fun!" The raven-haired boy blushed, but joined the group.

"It's not because I want to," He tried to save his dignity. "It's only to celebrate a new recruit."

"Hugging is manly!"

"That's our brother."

"Oh…"

"Lisanna, get the stamp!"

"Sure!"

"I want it on my hand – in pink."

"KYAAA! Put your clothes on, Gray!"

"You're such a stripper!" Lucy shouted.

"You're such a blondie!" Gray retorted. The two kids butted heads before Erza could pull them apart.

"There's something wrong with this generation." Wakaba said to Macao and blew out some smoke from his pipe. The other man could only nod in agreement.

* * *

><p>"Sheesh, she passed the test and starts a fight," Gildarts sighed and leaned against the bar watching the brawling kids. "I knew she'd be trouble."<p>

"Yet you brought her here." The old man sitting on the bar grinned.

"Wait a few years and she'll be a real looker!" Gildarts groaned and face-palmed himself.

"Makarov – stop being a perv and looking at Lucy like that!" Master Makarov waggled his eyebrows.

"That's what a guild master has got to do!" Seeing the fight draw in the rest of the guild, the master sighed and jumped off the bar.

* * *

><p>Lucy and Gray were pulling each other's cheeks when a hulking black shadow loomed over them.<p>

"BRATS!" The entire room silenced and Lucy stared at the giant. "We're making ourselves look bad in front of a new recruit." The giant sighed and began shrinking.

"Master! You were here?" Erza asked.

"Yes." Pop! The giant became a short old man.

"Glad to have you on board!" He waved at the blonde and Lucy and Gray snapped to attention.

"Now he's tiny!" Lucy murmured in astonishment. "Wait – Master?" Erza nodded.

"Yep! This is Master Makarov, Fairy Tail's guild master."

"Hyup!" The old man wearing the orange and blue striped jester hat launched into the air… and slammed into the wooden railing of the second floor. Wincing, he recovered quickly and pulled himself up onto the railing.

"Look at what you've done again. The council has sent me all these complaints again. All you fools do is make the council angry at me!" Master Makarov waved a stack of paper in the air and growled. The mages looked away from the master, ashamed.

"However, screw the council!" He set the stack of paper on fire and threw it in the air.

Natsu would've loved that. Lucy thought, watching the burning paper fly through the air. Dust swirled around her arms, solidifying into two unbreakable stone gauntlets. She leaped into the air and caught the burning paper. Patiently, she waited for the fire to die out and inhaled the dust and ashes that remained, which attracted weird stares from the people around her. The stone on her arms dispersed back into dust after she was finished.

* * *

><p>"Listen up! Magic is an unreasonable power, but it is born from reason!"<p>

"It is not miraculous, but it is earned by bonding the connection between the spirit within us and the spirit that flows within nature itself. It takes a strong mind and focus!"

"In fact, magic is the release of one's entire soul! One cannot progress in the way of magic by being mindful of the old geezers from above."

"Be not afraid of those fools on the council – for that's what it means to be a Fairy Tail mage!" Master Makarov shouted and lifted his right hand, sticking his pointer finger and thumb into the air. Shouts of agreement filled the guild and Lucy found herself cheering and lifting her hand with all the other kids.

The master smiled and jumped off the railing. He performed a flip before landing on the first floor.

"Lucy, dear," He called after the young blonde girl. Lucy turned and spotting Master Makarov, she walked over to him.

"Yes, Gramps?" Makarov blinked and Lucy giggled.

"You just remind me of an old grandpa…" The master coughed as Lucy broke into laughter.

_There's something about this girl… Despite her cheerful appearance, she's holding something inside her._ Makarov frowned and then eased up. _I'm sure the kids will help her through this._

"So, Lucy, what kind of magic do you use?" He asked her. The blonde stopped coughing and looked solemn - even kind of sad.

"I'm the celestial dragon slayer." She lifted her head proudly and Master Makarov arched his eyebrow.

"Wow, that's some impressive lost magic!" He exclaimed. Lucy nodded.

"Yeah! Celestia taught it to me!" Before the master could ask her more about this "Celestia", Levy had pulled her away.

"Come on, Lu-ch - Lucy. Let's go eat lunch with the others!"

* * *

><p>12:34 PM<p>

"I can take missions?" Lucy asked Levy.

"Yesp. Yous gest paisd, toos!" Levy explained, slurping a bowl of ramen noodles. Lucy nodded and continued to poke her salad absentmindedly. Suddenly, she stood up, abandoning her plate of greens, and rushed to the request board.

She looked over the jobs posted for a few minutes before grabbing one and running over to Master.

"Gramps, I'm going to take this one!" Lucy waved her request at the master and then ran out of the guild.

"W-wait, Lucy!" Levy stood up, but Erza coughed and placed a hand on the petite girl's shoulder.

"Levy, just let Lucy go. She's probably pretty excited for it and she'll be back soon." She told the bluenette, and the rest of the table nodded in agreement.

"Well, okay." The girl sat down, disappointed.

"Ahem," Master cleared his throat, drawing the kids' attentions. "The mission that Lucy took was to subdue a monster for 250,000 jewels." He eyed each of the awed younger mages.

"And it wasn't just any monster – it was a Vulcan." The kids all flinched as they realized what Lucy had just done.

"WHAT?" Gray stood up, furious. "Is she crazy or something? Doesn't she know how dangerous they – " Master Makarov placed a soothing hand on the boy's shoulder.

"It's possible that Lucy has never encountered a Vulcan before." He told the worried boy. "We shall have faith in her and her strength." The girls nodded.

"She showed a lot of skill, beating me like that." Mirajane observed and Erza snorted.

"Piece of cake," The scarlet-haired girl shrugged. "Anyone could beat you." Mira stood up, eyes flashing.

"Is that a challenge, Scarlet?" Erza glared at Mira with the same danger in her eyes.

"You bet'cha, Strauss." The girls butted heads and locked hands, stepping onto the table, and causing food and drinks to spill.

"Hey! Erza! Mirajane! We're eating!" Droy complained as his sandwich fell to the floor. "Umm, I d-didn't say a-anything…" He shivered as Erza glared at him. Mirajane took the chance and punched Erza's face. The scarlet-haired girl stumbled off the bench and gripped onto Mirajane's ponytail.

"OW!"

"SERVES YOU RIGHT!"

"WHY YOU – " Makarov sighed.

_Be careful, Lucy._ Gildarts stood. He edged around the fight and waved at Makarov.

"I'll be going now!" Smiling, he walked through the wall, leaving a Gildarts sized hole, and headed home.

* * *

><p>12:48 PM<p>

"Yes, there have been sightings of an enormous Vulcan in the woods. Recent observations made by the townspeople reported that it's been coming out of the forest during the day more often and many people have been disappearing." Lucy listened intently to her client.

"So, you just want me to beat up the Vulcan?" She shot to her feet.

The client nodded.

"If you can, please rescue the people who've been going missing as well." Lucy smiled.

"Of course!" She raced out of the room, her blonde pigtails bouncing behind her. With an excited gleam in her eyes, she sprinted out into the forest. Among the thick cover of trees, a pair of red eyes watched her.

* * *

><p><em>Hmm, something isn't right.<em> Lucy sniffed the air, frowning in distaste at the overwhelming scent of sweat and oppression.

**Crack.** A branch snapped and she sprinted deeper into the forest, the thing behind her giving chase. She risked a quick look behind her and not to her surprise; a hulking, red-eyed Vulcan was bounding after her. A cave loomed in front of her and without hesitation, she ran inside.

Immediately, the scent of people reached her nose. She couldn't hear the Vulcan behind her, so she ventured farther into the cave. It was quite queer, but the dragon slayer couldn't hear any sounds inside the cave. Instead, it was quiet. Deathly quiet.

Suddenly, the ten year old tripped over something and she flung out her arms to balance. She called upon some moonlight in her hand to illuminate the object.

A crowd of Vulcans glared at her, green eyes reflecting the moonlight. Lucy glared back, unfazed by the monsters.

"Where is he?" She asked. Both of her hand swirled with magic, stones encasing her arms. The white-scaled scarf around her neck floated slightly. Leering, the crowd of monsters parted and the hulking Vulcan stormed through.

_Green-eyed Vulcans and a red-eyed Vulcan – that's strange._ Lucy noted. With a snarl, the red-eyed Vulcan pounced on her. The blonde struggled underneath the weight of the Vulcan and resorted to using her magic. She managed to wiggle her hands out from under the monster and she grasped its face firmly.

"Celestial Dragon's Illumination!" A burning golden light surrounded Lucy and the Vulcan howled in pain.

It leaped up but the girl held onto the monster. She forced her magic into the glow encasing her and increased its brightness. The Vulcan howled again, an octave higher and the green-eyed Vulcans leapt into the fray. They attempted to harm the blonde, but the burning light prevented them from touching her.

Lucy gasped as her magic level dropped lower and the light faltered. That was enough for a Vulcan to claw through the hazy brightness and claw her right shoulder. She bit her lip to suppress a scream as pain ripped through her body. The light suddenly brightened and seared the monsters' body. With a thump, the red-eyed Vulcan gaped and dropped to the ground along with the green-eyed ones.

Lucy released her hold on the monster and flinched as her feet hit the ground. She dimmed the golden light and leaned against the wall, panting and holding her bleeding shoulder.

* * *

><p>"H-h-help…" The injured ten year old turned and gasped. There were no Vulcans in the cave! Instead, injured, unconscious people littered the floor and she stood up and moved over to where she'd heard the voice.<p>

An old man lay on the floor with burned cheeks.

"Y-you're the red-eyed Vulcan!" Lucy exclaimed as she walked over to the man. The burned elder took a breath and shuddered.

"Vulcan… t-take over… Need… to tell… you… friend… pink…" He froze and Lucy gaped at him in shock.

"No! Come on, please – tell me! Please!" She moved closer to the old man and shook him. "PLEASE!" The man unforze for another second before his head dropped down lower on his chest.

"Memory… Vulcan… dead… message…" Lucy placed her bloodied hand on the elder's shoulders and muttered quietly.

"Celestial Dragon's Exchange!" Nothing happened. She frowned and tapped into her magic reserve.

"Celestial Dragon's Exchange!" A green glow surrounded the elder but quickly faded away, leaving her empty. Lucy sat back, exhausted and took a deep breath. The welcoming feel of dust filled her stomach and she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>July 31, X777 9:57AM<p>

The guild was as noisy as ever. Boisterous laughter and raucous voices filled up the large building. However, there was a layer of worry under the whole façade. Everyone was worried about the new member, Lucy.

"Where's Lu-cha - Lucy? She should be back by now!" Levy wailed, pounding the table comically. "It was only her first mission!" Droy and Jet sat next to their team mate, worrying for her sanity.

"I'mp shure shea's feyen." Erza shoveled cheesecake into her mouth.

Mirajane glared at the wooden doors silently, waiting for them to open and both Lisanna and Elfman accompanied their older sister. Gray and Cana sat at the end of the table, just talking. Time to time though, the raven-haired boy would glance at the doors as well. Cana noticed this and she giggled.

"Gray, are you worried about Lucy?" She asked him when he turned for the fiftieth time. Gray jumped in surprise and immediately retorted.

"No I'm not. She can go jump in a beehive for all I care." The light blush on his cheeks told the opposite of what he said, though. Their conversation drew the attention of the entire table and Mirajane smirked.

"Aww, how cute. Gray has a crush on Lucy!" She cooed. Gray jumped up from the table.

"I do not!" He shouted. Lisanna and Levy gushed over him.

"Was it love at first sight?"

"I–" With a clang, he was smashed into Erza's chest plate.

"Don't be shy, Gray. It's totally normal to love someone." She patted him on the back "softly" and the boy winced.

"I said–"

At that moment, the doors slammed open and everyone froze. Lucy strode into the guild and went directly to the bar. She dropped a large sack next to the Master and walked over to the request board. Within a few seconds, she found a suitable job and ripped it off the board.

"I'll be taking this one, Gramps." She waved it at the old man before walking out the guild and slamming the doors closed behind her.

"Ok! Stay safe!" Master Makarov called after her.

* * *

><p>"…"<p>

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Gray jumped up. "SHE JUST CAME FROM HER FIRST JOB AND NOW SHE'S TAKING ANOTHER ONE? WHY WASN'T I ALLOWED TO DO THAT?"

"She seemed okay, though…" Levy said, biting her lip.

"I don't think so," Erza shook her head. "She was favoring her right side over her left. It's not wise for her to do this."

Mirajane stood up. "We have to bring her back." Lisanna nodded firmly.

"I agree with Mira-nee." Soon, the rest of the kids were following Mirajane to the door.

"Brats," Master Makarov cleared his throat. Slowly, the young mages turned to face the guild master. "Lucy is a capable mage. Look! On her first mission she got a bonus reward!" He nudged the brown canvas sack and with a rustle, wads of jewels spilled out of it.

Makarov glanced at the kids' awestruck expressions briefly before turning on his heel and returning to his spot in the bar.

"She'll be fine, so leave her be." He began to drink his mug of booze and with quiet mutterings, the children sat down, albeit reluctantly. Only Erza and Gray still stood near the door.

"I apologize Master, but this is my duty." Erza face was apologetic as she turned and strode out the doors. Gray tensed and looked up, meeting Makarov's eyes. His jaw clenched before he turned on his heel and raced after Erza.

"I'm going as well!"

* * *

><p>The two mages sprinted side by side toward the Magnolia Forest. The job that Lucy had taken was located in the eastern section of the forest and like before, it was to take down a Vulcan. As they grew closer to the outskirts of the forest, Erza placed a finger on her lips, and Gray nodded.<p>

The pair ventured deeper into the forest, the brightness around them slightly dimming.

Abruptly, the tree line thinned and a wide clearing opened up. Tall oak and spruce trees grew abundantly in a ring circling the clearing. In the center stood Lucy, her blonde hair swinging as she dodged the Vulcan's lunge. She looked pretty bad, with a long scratch that ran down her right arm and bruises all over her legs.

"We should help her," Gray whispered to Erza, who didn't answer. The scarlet haired mage observed Lucy's fighting style as she maneuvered skillfully around the hulking monster.

Without a word, the armored girl turned and walked away. Gray stared after her, obviously confused by her sudden actions, but ran after her.

"Erza!" He grabbed her shoulder when he caught up and she stopped. "Don't you think we should help her?" His voice showed his confusion and anger. Erza shook her head and pulled him along.

"Master was right. She'll be fine."

* * *

><p>It was a week later when Erza realized her mistake.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**My author's note will always be down here, from now on. :)**

I've realized that the story comes first before my random rambling, so yeah.  
>Sorry for the long delay! Life... just happened.<p>

**Thanks to everyone who have stuck with me through this rough patch in my updates.**

The next chapter should be up soon (in a few minutes) as well.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I found that I (always) have trouble in writing decent fight scenes. They always seem too hurried to me. If anyone has any tips for writing them, it would be a great help to me!

* * *

><p><strong>Black Market of Gossip:<strong>

To **eem13**,

Thank you for your lovely review! I'm so glad that you like my writing. To be honest, writing was never one of my favorite things to do in elementary school because everything we wrote was for a test or essay or something formal like that. :(

To** SakuraPetal91**,

Yes, the AMV's on your profile page really helped to jolt my brain back into shape. I always get this... undescribable feeling whenever Nalu/Luna is shown with a really good song that matches the mood. The newest opening song, I mean... I was just like "YUSSS!" when I was watching it. ;)

* * *

><p>Signing off,<p>

Nora


	7. Genuine Smiles

I've decided to focus on writing** _Princess Converted Pirate_**.  
>I will still be writing this story, except my updates won't be as frequent anymore.<p>

Thanks for all your support and understanding!

~Nora

* * *

><p>August 7th, X777 9:26 AM<p>

"Hey Lucy!" Levy waved cheerfully at the blonde just entering the guild.

Lucy waved back tiredly at the beaming girl. The bluenette held a thick brown storybook with the title _Peter Pan _embellished in gold on the cover, and she wore a pair of red-rimmed glasses.

"You wanna join us for story time?" Lisanna, Cana, Gray, Mirajane, Erza, Laxus and the other kids lounged on plush pillows in a circle around Levy. They all peered at the blonde girl expectantly, but despite the longing for a good story and some actual rest, Lucy shook her head and grabbed another request. She handed it to the master for approval and shortly after, she headed out the doors.

Gray looked at Erza with a slight quirk of his eyebrows. A glance at Levy's crestfallen face decided it all, and the girl stood up first.

"This has gone far enough." She proclaimed loudly before nodding apologetically to Levy and striding through the open doors. Gray scrambled after her, not wasting another second.

* * *

><p>10:37 AM<p>

"Stupid Vulcans... I hate them all!" Lucy stumbled on a rock and fell on the bare dirt, landing on her injured arm. Tears welled up in her eyes and she bit her lip to stop the shriek of pain from rushing out. She clutched her dislocated arm with her left hand and took a deep, shuddery breath.

With a quick, firm jerk, she reset it. Stars burst in front of her eyes and the pain from before was incomparable to the jolt of lightning that shocked her nerves.

"AAAAGH!" This time, she couldn't stop the cry that flew from her lips. She leaned forward, sweat beading on her forehead, and gasped. The pain slowly ebbed away leaving her arm intact but still slightly painful.

"HOHO!" Lucy sat up, alert but enable to do anything as the fist slammed into her back. She sailed through the air and crashed into a large, rough boulder. Wincing, she looked up to see another fist coming her way and she shakily stood up and dodged to the side.

She pressed her back to a trunk for support and glared hatefully at the Vulcan. Grinning eerily, it sat up and grabbed the boulder and with a grunt, it heaved the humongous rock at her.

Lucy huffed and leaped forward.

"Celestial Dragon's Starry Fist!" Her left hand engulfed in dust and the light of the sun encased her arm. Yelling, she smashed the boulder into pieces causing dust to fill the air. _Perfect! _She smiled wearily and inhaled the nutritious snack. The rush of energy soared through her body and she grinned. Her injured arm glowed a soft green color and with its appearance, her arm numbed.

She crouched down and inhaled once more, relying on her other senses to locate the monster.

"Celestial Dragon's Roar!" The powerful spiral of dust, meteor rock, and starlight burst through the thin haze of dust particles and slammed dead center on the Vulcan's chest. The unfortunate beast howled and fell over, writhing in pain and Lucy nodded grimly.

Cautiously, she approached the wounded monster - making sure to stay arms' length away - and scrutinized it. She heard the rate of its heartbeat quicken and knew that it was still very much alert and conscious. She did not, however, expect it to leap up and attempt to squash her with its body. Unfortunately, she also did not expect it to succeed.

Most of her energy was drained by her roar and she felt the Vulcan's body slam into hers, pinning her to the floor. Then, blows rained down upon her defenseless body and she screamed at the pain. New wounds formed on her body and her old lacerations reopened.

She desperately tried to connect with one of her spirits but the brief fizz told her that her magic had ran out. _Of course it happens now, _the girl sighed mentally. The week of steady fighting and sheer exhaustion overwhelmed her and she struggled to even escape the weakened monster's grasp.

A particularly vicious punch landed on her head and she felt her skull shake and her vision vibrate. Suddenly, a spot on the Vulcan's chest began to glow a golden yellow. The terror and pain pressured her to kick the monster hard right where it was glowing. With a shudder, the monster froze and Lucy took the chance to crawl away from it.

Her ears pricked up and she felt approaching doom as it snapped out of its trance and lunged towards her frail body.

* * *

><p>Out of nowhere, a dark haired blur ran next to her and a shield of ice protected her. The Vulcan roared and clawed at the ice, causing cracks to form.<p>

She picked up another familiar scent as an armored girl ran in front of the frosty shield, swinging a gleaming sword at the frothing beast.

"Gray... Erza..." She muttered weakly. As she attempted to sit up, cold hands pushed her down.

"Don't sit up. You're hurt." Gray glared at her as she laid back down. "What's wrong with you? Are you _trying_ to kill yourself?" He steamed. Lucy looked taken aback for a second before her shock turned to anger.

"You don't know _anything_ about me," She retorted, furious. "I made a promise and as a celestial mage, I keep my promises."

"You think that you're going to be able to keep your promise if you get killed?" Gray hissed at her.

"He's my BEST FRIEND! My ONLY FRIEND! I HAVE to TRY!" She yelled, her anger and distress reaching new heights.

"YOUR ONLY FRIEND? DO YOU THINK THAT HE'LL LIKE IT IF YOU DIE? WHAT ABOUT FAIRY TAIL?" Gray yelled back. "LEVY, LISANNA, CANA, MIRAJANE, EVERYONE ELSE! DO YOU THINK THAT WE'RE NOT FAMILY? THAT YOUR ACTIONS DON'T HURT THEM?"

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! IT'S MY FAULT!" Lucy shouted, angry tears welling up in her eyes. "If I had been stronger..." She trailed off and slumped lower, her energy suddenly vanishing. Still furious, Gray calmed and lowered his guard for a millisecond.

"NO! LUCY!" Lucy suddenly leaped over the shield and ran towards the Vulcan that Erza was slashing at.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" Erza hesitated for a second, and then she jumped backwards. Lucy jumped on top of the Vulcan and grabbed onto its head. It wailed and tried to shake her off. The Vulcan used its claws to scratch her but still, she held on.

"GET OFF! YOU'RE HURT!" The frantic cries of Erza and Gray reached her ears above the monster's roars but she shook her head with a determined smile. From the recesses of her reserves, she drew upon the last bit of her magic and called forth the burning heat of the meteors.

"Celestial Dragon's Illumination!" The two other mages looked away from the bright light that Lucy emitted. Despite the light being weaker than before, it still caused enough damage to knock the monster unconscious and cause severe burns on and around its head. The ground shook as the Vulcan collapsed. Finally drained of any and all energy, she fell unconscious as well.

"Lucy!" Both Erza and Gray sprinted forward to catch their guild mate before she could hit the ground.

"Ice Make: Ropes!" Gray bound the monster and handed Erza the end of the rope. She dragged the defeated Vulcan behind her and Gray carried the unconscious girl on his back. Like that, the mages collected the reward from Lucy's job and together, they went home.

* * *

><p>August 7th, X777 2:12 PM<p>

"N-Natsu... Natsu... Natsu! Don't go! I'm sorry!" Hands shook her awake and Lucy sat up abruptly. Her forehead bonked with the other person's and she clutched it.

"Ow!" They both cried at the same time. Lucy sniffed the air and opened an eye. She was in a cot in a brightly lit room. The smell of herbs filled the air and she instantly knew that she was in the guild's infirmary.

"Lisanna?" The white-haired girl looked at Lucy and sniffed.

"Lucy!" She cried and threw her arms around the blonde. "We all thought that you were going to die when Erza and Gray brought you back." She sniffed; a tear trailing down her pale cheek and Lucy hurriedly wiped it away.

"I'm sorry, Lisanna," Lucy whispered, but what she did next surprised the small, white-haired girl. She threw the covers off her bandaged body and stood up, wincing.

"Come on." She managed a bright smile at the other girl and opened the door. Lisanna helped her down the stairs and when Lucy reached the bottom, she immediately ran and grabbed Levy, Cana, Mirajane, and Erza's hands.

"Let's go somewhere!" She latched onto Lisanna's hand as well. "Come on, Levy-chan!" The surprised girl could only widen her eyes before reality hit her. Lucy had really given her a nickname.

"LU-CHAN!" She embraced the blonde tightly, sobbing, and wetting her friend's scaled scarf. Then, Lucy was spun around and hugged by more people.

"Never, _ever_, do that again." Erza, Mirajane, Cana, and Lisanna all had tears rolling down their faces and Lucy couldn't help but let out a choked laugh.

"I won't." She said. "It's a promise." All of a sudden the five other girls stopped crying and Lucy realized that she had been fooled.

"Crocodile tears - "

"All right! Now let's get shopping!" They dragged her, kicking and screaming about dirty tricks, through the guild doors and down into the streets of Magnolia.

* * *

><p>But before she had totally disappeared, Gray caught a true, genuine, thankful smile flash across her face before she smirked and stuck out her tongue at him.<p>

He leaped up from his spot at the game table where Droy, Jet, and Elfman looked at him warily, but before he could tackle her, she was already dragged out the doors and into the mayhem of shops.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

And that was chapter seven! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.

This one was actually part of chapter six, but I thought that it'd probably be too long if I kept them together, so I split them.

Next up in my updates list is _Princess Converted Pirate_!

* * *

><p><strong>Black Market of Gossip:<strong>

To **the readers of _Past and Present_**:

I hope you all liked this chapter. Here is a sneak peek at my plot plan for the upcoming two chapters!

Chapter 8: Hargeon Twins

Lucy ventures into the town of Hargeon, a bustling port where she takes on a simple mission with Lisanna and Levy to subdue robbers. The requestor is the shop owner of a magic store who is worried about her wares being stolen. However, nasty robbers aren't all that she finds there.

Chapter 9: S-Class Mage

Guess all you want about what they're going to be about! ;)


End file.
